Randy Johnson News

"Randy Johnson emerged from treatment with ice wrapped around his bruised left hand on Wednesday, but said it wouldn’t force him to miss his next scheduled start on Sunday against the Tigers. Johnson got the bruise by trying to barehand a grounder by Jeff Baker in the fourth inning of Tuesday’s game. “It’s the smart pitchers that pull their hand back,” Johnson said. “It’s the dumb pitchers that leave it out there. Temporarily, I won’t be able to play my drums.”"

"Randy Johnson’s two best friends — his 98 mph fastball and 90 mph slider — have deserted him. But he still has his sense of humor. (Yes, he has one). “I look forward to really getting on a roll,” he said. “I just don’t know if it’s going to be a half-revolution.” Funny stuff, but it also underscores an emerging story line inside the Diamondbacks clubhouse. Johnson clearly isn’t the pitcher he once was, or even the pitcher he was last year...with Doug Davis expected back next week, the question has to be asked: Does Johnson still deserve his spot in the starting rotation?"

"A relaxed and introspective Randy Johnson, nursing a sore left hand, isn't taking anything for granted at age 44. "I have a better appreciation of where I'm at in today's game with what I had to go through, and I realize how fortunate I am being able to come back and just pitch competitively," the Diamondbacks left-hander said. "Having two back surgeries, there's no guarantee. I feel better right now than I did last year, obviously, but actually I pitched better last year."

"Randy Johnson had to put his perfect record at Wrigley Field on hold Sunday. When the Windy City also turned cold and rainy, the decision to bump Randy Johnson from his scheduled start was an easy call, manager Bob Melvin said. “With a guy that’s had the problems he has with his back, to send him there in those conditions … it will certainly be wet, and windy conditions (can) play on the back,” Melvin said. “There were a lot of reasons not to pitch him today.” The Cubs did the same with their starter, pushing Carlos Zambrano back to Monday."

"With rain coming down much of the morning and forecasts calling for more, the Diamondbacks scratched Randy Johnson about 2 1/2 hours before Sunday's game, pushing the left-hander's next start to Tuesday against the Rockies. Manager Bob Melvin didn't want to take any chances with Johnson, who the club is trying to handle carefully as he returns from his second back surgery in the past two years."

"Johnson threw six innings of three-hit, one-run baseball against the San Diego Padres, leading the Diamondbacks to a 5-1 win and earning career victory No. 285."

"Johnson gave up three hits and a run in six innings, striking out seven, and the most encouraging sign for the D-Backs in their 5-1 victory over San Diego at Petco Park was the way he did it."

"The Diamondbacks are preaching patience with Randy Johnson, though he seems to be running low on it. Johnson was touched for five runs in the sixth inning Sunday afternoon as the San Diego Padres put an end to the Diamondbacks' four-game win streak with a 9-4 victory in front of 28,090 at Chase Field."

"For a day, the man from down under was on top of the world. Justin Huber’s three-run home run — his first career homer — off Randy Johnson in the sixth inning Sunday helped San Diego avoid a sweep to the Diamondbacks in a 9-4 victory, although Huber said the big hit may not cause much of a buzz in his native Australia."

"The Big Unit is back. Randy Johnson hasn’t stepped on the Chase Field mound for a regular-season game in 10 months, but will do so today against the Padres."

"Two errors and a handful of other miscues allowed the San Francisco Giants to score five unearned runs en route to a 5-4 victory over the Diamondbacks on a chilly and windy night at AT&T Park."

"But the D-Backs’ defense had an uncharacteristic off night, letting Johnson down both during his five innings and after he departed in San Francisco’s 5-4 victory at AT&T Park."

"Randy Johnson will make his 2008 debut at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and the only better thing than a Big Unit in your rotation is a healthy Big Unit in your rotation."

"Randy Johnson will make his first major league start in 290 days tonight in San Francisco, and the Diamondbacks cannot wait."

"It was clear enough from his refined command and improved results that Randy Johnson probably was headed back to the majors as he walked off the mound at Tucson Electric Park on Tuesday night. Then with a tidy gesture, he seemed to sum it all up. "

"Randy Johnson walked off the mound at Tucson Electric Park to applause and tossed his black hat to fans sitting behind the Tucson Sidewinders dugout."

"Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson is having difficulty determining whether he'll be ready to rejoin his teammates soon. Johnson pitched the first of two rehabilitation assignments with the Sidewinders on Thursday night, as Tucson beat Colorado Springs 12-10 before 11,765 fans in the season opener at Tucson Electric Park. Johnson, 44, threw 78 pitches in four innings. He allowed eight hits and five runs. He struck out one."

"He didn't look particularly sharp, and his results weren't good, but Randy Johnson came away from his outing Wednesday saying he felt great and was encouraged to be another step closer to being ready for the regular season."

" As in almost every spring in his storied career, Randy Johnson’s next start will be on Opening Day. This time it will not be with the Diamondbacks, however. Johnson will open the regular season on the disabled list, organizational sources said Wednesday, and will make his next start in the Triple-A Tucson Sidewinders’ season opener Wednesday at Tucson Electric Park."

"The move may simply have been made to keep the Rockies from getting a good look at Randy Johnson. Or it could be something more. Manager Bob Melvin said the Big Unit will pitch in a minor league game on Wednesday instead of the big league game against Colorado."

"After throwing 63 pitches in his third spring-training start Friday against the Dodgers, Randy Johnson was asked if there is a pitch count he'd like to reach in his final start before the regular season."

"Randy Johnson took another step forward Friday, throwing 63 pitches in 3 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers."

"Randy Johnson's command was solid, his velocity stable, his endurance better and his slider sharper. He made significant progress in his second Cactus League start, allowing just one hit - a solo home run by Gary Matthews Jr. - in three innings against the Angels. He struck out two and walked none."

"Randy Johnson ended his second spring start with a flourish, finishing with 15 straight strikes Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels in Tempe."

"Randy Johnson said without hesitation that he feels better now than he did this time last year, but he couldn't help but wonder what might happen in his first Cactus League appearance of the year Monday, his first game action since undergoing his latest back surgery in August."

"Randy Johnson has big plans for 2008, but he is keeping it to himself for now. “People would laugh if they knew what I was thinking about (accomplishing) this year,” Johnson said after throwing 33 pitches Monday in his first spring appearance."

"The long angular body and whiplike delivery were familiar. The results were not. But Randy Johnson's first start of spring training Monday was not about results. If the Big Unit can be half the pitcher he once was - say, a reliable No. 3 starter for the Diamondbacks behind Brandon Webb and Dan Haren - it will make the Rockies' bid to win their first National League West title considerably more difficult."

"It’s not just Randy Johnson’s first Cactus League start of the year today, it’s also the debut of a tantalizing prospect. Former Cy Young winner Brandon Webb threw Sunday. Dan Haren — the ace plucked from Oakland for a bevy of prospects — starts Tuesday."

"The rehab and recovery will continue, but the waiting is over. Randy Johnson is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut Monday against the Colorado Rockies at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson."

"Randy Johnson is scheduled to make his first spring training start Monday against Colorado at Tucson's Hi Corbett Field. "This is exactly where we had it mapped out to, yet we weren't going to get too far ahead of ourselves," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said."

"Left-hander Randy Johnson threw 36 pitches during a simulated two-inning batting-practice session against hitters before Tuesday's game in Surprise, and he could make his first Cactus League appearance at some point next week."

"Another encouraging session with live hitters on Tuesday has put Randy Johnson on schedule for his first Cactus League appearance sooner rather than later. The Diamondbacks left-hander threw 36 pitches to three different batters before the team's game against the Rangers, mixing in fastballs, change-ups and sliders in the two-inning simulation."

"Randy Johnson returned to the mound Thursday in his first batting practice session of the spring. Johnson threw 30 pitches in batting practice and another 23 in the bullpen, facing minor league outfielders Chris Rahl and Trent Oeltjen."

"Bob Melvin sensed that left-hander Randy Johnson had a bit of an edge to him during his first bullpen session of camp on Sunday morning. So the Diamondbacks manager kept his distance and watched. He liked what he saw."

"Randy Johnson looked free and loose while throwing 27 pitches in his first spring training bullpen session Sunday, continuing to “do what I’ve been doing” after three bullpen outings at therapist Jeff Fischer’s Valley facility."

"As Randy Johnson approached the mound Sunday, Arizona Diamondbacks Manager Bob Melvin gave him a wide berth, as if trying to avoid being singed. Johnson’s burning competitiveness once again had turned him into the world’s tallest sparkler."

"Randy Johnson sounds encouraged. He says he feels better than he did in spring training last year, when he thinks he probably tried to come back too soon. He says his body has felt like it's "completely healthy" through the three bullpen sessions he has thrown in recent weeks."

"Randy Johnson has been many things in his 21-year major league career - multiple Cy Young winner, strikeout leader, World Series co-MVP, Mr. Perfect."

"Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that left-hander Randy Johnson remains on target to throw another bullpen session Friday, after which he would likely pitch in another simulated game or a minor league game sometime next week."

"Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Friday, and manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday the 43-year-old future Hall-of-Famer remains on schedule to pitch again this season."

"Will Randy Johnson ever pitch again? Even he is beginning to wonder. Two hours after throwing a three-inning simulated game, his first competitive work in nearly a month, Johnson sat at his locker thumbing through a magazine and raised the possibility that he and the Diamondbacks might have some difficult decisions to make soon."