PCL notes: Johnson trying to stay healthy

There are times it seems like Pierce Johnson can't catch a break.

Ever since the Cubs took him as a supplemental first-round Draft pick in 2012 out of Missouri State, he's battled a variety of injuries.

Hamstring and lat injuries, among others, limited him to 327 innings before this year. Finally healthy toward the end of 2015, Johnson threw well in the Arizona Fall League before joining Triple-A Iowa this season.

Then came his first start on April 11 against New Orleans.

"I feel great, just going day by day," Johnson said. "Just wish I would have dodged that one line drive."

Johnson threw three scoreless innings against the Zephyrs before he was hit on the pitching arm by a comebacker. The 24-year-old right-hander ended up missing his next start on April 16.

"It's a little frustrating from the work you put in from the offseason," he said. "That's just the game. It wasn't anything major, just as a precautionary matter; the Cubs thought I should miss a start. I could have pitched, but they were playing it safe."

Johnson was able to make his next start on April 21, allowing one run while striking out six over five innings at New Orleans. It was the kind of start that made the Cubs' No. 11 prospect feel he was carrying over some of the lessons learned in the AFL.

"A little bit. I was working on mechanical things there," Johnson said. "I'm really confident, and building up those innings was the biggest thing for me. That was fun."

The Cubs also made sure Johnson spent some time at big league Spring Training with pitching coach Chris Bosio.

"I'm a lot better [now]," he said. "I was working with Bosio, I learned a lot from him. Rod Nichols here has continued to help me further my process of getting better strikes, throwing more quality pitches. I'm enjoying the process. It's fun to see everything coming together."

Another bit of fun for Johnson and the rest of the Minor Leaguers was seeing the buzz the big league squad was generating with the fan base in Arizona.

"Oh, no doubt," Johnson said. "Just Spring Training alone, the fan base we had showing up to games and practice, seeing the buzz at the Cubs Convention. It motivates you to work a little harder."

Johnson said Cubs fans should know that the organization's talent pipeline has not dried up.

"The next wave is going to be mostly pitchers," he said. "It's really cool to be a part of this organization. I think it's great. Once you're competing with your own teammates to kind of one-up each other, it really builds the competition with yourself. That's kind of how [right-hander] Ryan Williams and I have been doing in the system. We really did that last year at Double-A."

In brief

Dealing in Vegas: Las Vegas can be rough on pitchers, but Mets No. 13 prospect Gabriel Ynoa isn't skipping a beat. Through four starts, he's 1-0 with league-leading 1.48 ERA, striking out 12 and walking nine over 24 1/3 innings.

Aces high: The Diamondbacks' crowded infield situation in Reno has yet another player knocking on the door. No. 14 prospect Jack Reinheimer, acquired in last year's Mark Trumbo trade with the Mariners, has been red-hot (.341/.372/.512) at the plate while shining defensively at shortstop.

It ain't Over(ton): Nashville's rotation has taken two hits this week as right-hander Jesse Hahn and lefty Sean Manaea were recalled by the A's. That leaves lefty Dillon Overton, the organization's 10th-ranked prospect, as the top remaining starter as he's 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts against four walks in 26 2/3 innings.