Elbow woes lead Josh Johnson to retire at 32
Pitcher Josh Johnson, one of the most dominant starters in the major leagues during his peak seasons with the Florida Marlins, is retiring from baseball at age 32, his agent, Matt Sosnick, told ESPN.com Thursday.
Johnson, who underwent three Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow during his career, signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants in early November. But he decided to retire with less than a month to go before the start of spring training.
Johnson posted a career 58-45 record with a 3.40 ERA for the Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays. During the 2009-2010 seasons, he went a combined 26-11 with a 2.80 ERA in 61 starts for the Marlins. He made two straight National League All-Star teams and finished fifth in the 2010 National League Cy Young Award balloting.
The Marlins sent Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes to Toronto as part of a 12-player trade in November 2012. Johnson went 2-8 with a 6.20 ERA for the Blue Jays in 2013 before undergoing his second elbow reconstruction in April 2014. He attempted a comeback with the San Diego Padres, but was never able to make it back to the majors.
