ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Red Sox have kept the training wheels on 24-year-old left-hander Brian Johnson this season, never allowing him to throw 100 pitches in a minor league game while skipping his turn in the rotation in attempt to keep him fresh.
Johnson, who will make his major league debut against the Astros on Tuesday, was understanding of their desire to treat him gently, but the 6-foot-4, 235-pound rookie was still fighting to stay in a May 29 game against the Louisville Bats. He had a perfect game with nine strikeouts through six innings, having thrown just 74 pitches when Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles took him out of the game.