The Giants picked up a new player early Wednesday, claiming former Cubs’ right-hander reliever Pierce Johnson off of wavers after he was designated for assignment by Chicago last week.
Johnson, a first-round pick by the Cubs in 2012, has spent the majority of his career in the minors, but did make one appearance for the Cubs this season. He gave up two runs and two hits, but struck out two over one inning pitched.
Johnson went 3-2 on the season with a 4.31 ERA for Cubs’ affiliate Triple-A Iowa in 43 appearances and gave up just three home runs in 54.1 innings.
In a corresponding roster move, Brandon Belt was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Belt has been on the DL recovering from his fourth concussion of his career since August 5, after he was hit in the helmet by a pitch from Anthony Banda against the Diamondbacks. While Belt was once considered to be making steady progress towards a return, he’ll be shut down for the rest of the season.