Padres Outfielder Heard He Was Being Traded, But Waited Hours to Found Out Where

San Diego Padres outfielder Bryce Johnson came back to the Friars from the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 17, but had no idea he was coming back for several hours after he learned he'd been traded.

“I kind of just sat there for a good three or four hours and didn’t hear from anybody,” Johnson said. “I guess it was a last-minute trade that just happened. But not a lot of people knew about it, including me. Called my agent. He didn’t know. He got on the phone and finally figured out that it was coming back here.

Johnson spent 2024 with the Padres after they signed him to a minor league contract. He played 47 games in MLB last year, where he batted .206 and had a .524 OPS in 63 at bats. He elected free agency in the offseason and joined the Pirates, but injuries and a need for outfielders in San Diego brought him back.

He remained with Triple-A El Paso through centerfielder Jackson Merrill and left fielder Jason Heyward's first injuries of the season, but came up to the majors during their second injured list stints on June 16. Merrill has a concussion and is on the 10-day injured list, while Heyward has an oblique strain.

Johnson struggled with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, but was great for the Chihuahuas after returning to the Padres organization. He slashed .303/.407/.458 and had three home runs through 42 games. He had similar numbers in his last spell with El Paso in 2024, where he played 74 games and slashed .288/.407/.431.

He's played twice for the Padres since his call up, where he's 2-for-4 with a double.

The Padres will hope they Johnson can continue to effectively fill in for their injured starters, as they are in a precarious situation in the NL West. They sit six games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, who have beaten them in three consecutive games. They hold the final NL Wild Card spot, 0.5 games ahead of both the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds. They play a series finale against the 2024 World Series champions Thursday at 7:10 p.m. PT.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.