The Pittsburgh Pirates' organizational depth took a significant blow this week as the club announced that second base prospect Termarr Johnson has been diagnosed with tears to the ACL and LCL in his left knee. The injury, which occurred while Johnson was running to first base during a game last weekend with Triple-A Indianapolis, will end his 2026 season prematurely.
Johnson is scheduled to be examined by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dan Cooper in Dallas next week to determine the full extent of the damage and map out a surgical plan. The recovery timeline for such a significant multi-ligament knee injury typically spans 9-12 months, meaning Johnson is likely to miss the majority, if not all, of the 2027 campaign.
Pirates 2B prospect Termarr Johnson has been diagnosed with tears to the ACL and LCL in his left knee. Johnson is due to be examined by Dr. Dan Cooper in Dallas next week. He suffered the injury after tripping near first base last weekend with Triple-A Indianapolis.— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) August 14, 2026The timing of the injury is particularly devastating given the context of Johnson’s development. Drafted with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Mays High School in Atlanta, Johnson arrived with immense fanfare. He signed with the Pirates for a $7.2 million bonus, a figure that exceeded the slot recommendation for the pick, underscoring the organization's belief in his offensive ceiling. Scouts at the time lauded his exceptional hit tool, often grading it at a 70 on the 20-80 scale, combined with plus power potential that evaluators projected would yield 25 home runs per season at his peak.
