The Atlanta Braves' bullpen has been under fire this season and frankly, they have deserved it. Atlanta's relievers (as of June 25) rank 22nd in all of baseball by fWAR at just 1.0 and their 3.78 FIP, while better, ranks in the middle of the pack. Raisel Iglesias has a negative fWAR for the season and he was supposed to be the anchor. However, Pierce Johnson has been one of the bright spots alongside Dylan Dodd and Dylan Lee, although how the Braves have used him lately has been kind of weird.
Sure, Johnson hasn't been perfect this season with a couple dud appearances, but there is no denying he has been one of the Braves' best relievers in 2025 with a 3.29 ERA and 3.08 FIP. However, Atlanta has only given him seven appearances in the month of June. What gives?
As it turns out, the Braves and Brian Snitker may actually have some valid reasons for wanting to limit Johnson's usage in the first half.
Pierce Johnson hasn't been used much by the Braves in June, but that may be a good thing
Now, one obvious explanation here is that Johnson could be dealing with a minor injury or fatigue issues. The summer can drain the hell out of some guys and there is a very real chance that Atlanta knew that he needed a bit more rest to get to 100% hence explaining his light usage compared to some of the other options in the bullpen lately.
However, what might be more likely is that the Braves have figured out some things about Johnson now that he has been around a while. Last year, Johnson performed markedly worse in the second half with a 4.38 ERA across 26 appearances compared to a 3.13 ERA in 32 appearances. One cannot draw too many conclusions from that limited data set, but it isn't farfetched to think that Johnson tired as the season went on especially playing home games in the south. By giving him some rest here and there, the Braves could get more out of him down the line this season.
If that is the plan, it is unclear if it will work. While the Braves haven't used him much in June, he still has 30 appearances this season which is close to what Johnson did last season, although Johnson did miss some time on the IL with elbow inflammation last May which could lend credence to the injury theory as well.
Hopefully whatever the Braves are up to works out, because the Montero/De Los Santos/Iglesias Experience is bad for fans' collective blood pressure right now. If the Braves can't lean on Johnson in the second half and not have to play these other guys as much, Atlanta better hope they can get some bullpen help at the trade deadline.