Steven David Johnson (born August 31, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2012 and also played in MLB for the Seattle Mariners.

Early life

Steve Johnson was born to Dave and Tera Johnson. His father, Dave Johnson, pitched in MLB for five seasons, including three for Baltimore, and is now a broadcaster on MASN, which airs Orioles and Nationals games. Johnson graduated from St. Paul's School in 2005 where he played baseball.

Professional career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Johnson was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 13th round of the

2005 MLB Draft The 2005 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 7 and 8. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams. It is widely considered to be one of the best ...

out of St. Paul's School for Boys in

Brooklandville, Maryland Brooklandville is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States near the intersection of Jones Falls Expressway and the Baltimore Beltway. The general area is a part of Lut ...

. He pitched for the GCL Dodgers in 2005, going 0–2 with a 9.53 ERA in six games (three starts). He split 2006 between the Ogden Raptors (14 starts) and Jacksonville Suns (two relief appearances), going a combined 5–5 with a 3.67 ERA. In 2007, he went 3–6 with a 4.85 ERA in 18 games (16 starts) for the Great Lakes Loons. Johnson split 2008 between the Loons (13 starts) and Inland Empire 66ers (11 starts), going a combined 12–8 with a 4.32 ERA. He started the 2009 season in the Dodgers' organization, pitching for the 66ers (18 games, 16 starts) and Chattanooga Lookouts (two starts).

Baltimore Orioles

On July 30, he was traded with minor leaguer Josh Bell to the Baltimore Orioles for George Sherrill. He finished the season with the

Bowie Baysox The Bowie Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. History From 1989 to 1992, ...

. Overall, he went a combined 12–7 with a 3.41 ERA in 27 games (25 starts). The San Francisco Giants selected him in the 2009 Rule 5 Draft, but he was returned to the Orioles on March 16, 2010. Johnson had his contract purchased by the Orioles on June 3, 2012, but was immediately optioned to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He was called up to the major leagues for the first time on July 1, 2012, in Seattle, but did not play in the two games before he was optioned down again. He finally made his major league debut on July 15, 2012 against the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

in Baltimore. On August 8, 2012, he started and won his first game against the Seattle Mariners, 23 years to the day after his father pitched his first victory for the Orioles. On April 24, 2013, Johnson was sent to the Norfolk Tides on a rehab assignment. He was brought up to the Orioles on May 11 to start against the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

, and optioned back to Norfolk the next day. He was recalled on May 25 when

Pedro Strop Pedro Ángel Strop (born June 13, 1985) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago Cubs. Caree ...

was placed on the disabled list. Johnson was outrighted off the Orioles roster on October 24, 2014. He was added back to the Orioles roster on September 1, 2015.

Texas Rangers

On January 29, 2016, Johnson signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, with an invitation to Spring Training. He was released on March 14.

Seattle Mariners

Johnson signed with the Seattle Mariners prior to the 2016 season.

Second Stint with Orioles

On March 4, 2017, Johnson signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

Chicago White Sox

On August 9, 2017, the Orioles traded Johnson to the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations. He elected free agency on November 6, 2017.

Lancaster Barnstormers

On April 2, 2018, Johnson signed with the Lancaster Barnstormers of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. He announced his retirement as an active player via social media on December 22, 2018.Steve Johnson's official retirement announcement via Instagram.
Retrieved December 22, 2018

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Steve 1987 births Living people Baseball players from Baltimore Major League Baseball pitchers Baltimore Orioles players Seattle Mariners players Gulf Coast Dodgers players Ogden Raptors players Jacksonville Suns players Great Lakes Loons players West Oahu Canefires players Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino players Chattanooga Lookouts players Bowie Baysox players Norfolk Tides players Mesa Solar Sox players Gulf Coast Orioles players Aberdeen IronBirds players Tacoma Rainiers players Charlotte Knights players Lancaster Barnstormers players