Former Union-Endicott standout, Jim Johnson will help the Atlanta Braves out of the bullpen this season.  Johnson signed a one-year contract with the Braves last December.  His role may be amplified since Atlanta dealt their closer Craig Kimbrel to San Diego this weekend.  Kimbrel had an ERA of 1.61 last season.  The move opens that spot in the Braves bullpen.

The 31-year-old, right-hander has had an impressive Spring Training after facing a series of problems last year.  He was released by the Oakland Athletics and then was picked-up by the Detroit Tigers to finish the year.

Johnson, a Union-Endicott graduate, was a fifth-round selection of the Baltimore Orioles in the June 2001 Major League Baseball Draft.  He made his Major League debut in 2006 with the Orioles and had several excellent campaigns there.  He saw duty over eight seasons in Baltimore and was named to the 2012 American League All-Star Team.

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