The Astros have signed Daniel Johnson to a minor league deal, according to the outfielder’s MLB.com profile page. Johnson became a free agent earlier this month when he was released from a previous minors contract with the Marlins.
A veteran of four big league seasons, Johnson hit .189/.246/.302 over 57 plate appearances with the Giants and Orioles in 2025. His 31 games marked a new career high, topping Johnson’s 30 appearances for Cleveland in 2021. Johnson only has 67 games on his MLB resume, with a .196/.243/.322 slash line and five home runs to show for 152 plate appearances.
Johnson is both a left-handed hitter and capable of playing all three outfield positions, making him a useful depth addition for the Astros on a couple of fronts. Houston’s active roster is overloaded with right-handed bats, and Joey Loperfido (one of the few lefty swingers) was just placed on the 10-day IL due to a quad strain. Loperfido, Jake Meyers, and Zach Dezenzo are all on the injured list, depleting an Astros outfield core that was already thin coming into the season.
Houston selected Taylor Trammell‘s contract earlier this month in the wake of these outfield injuries, and Dustin Harris was just claimed off waivers from the White Sox yesterday. This duo, Cam Smith, Brice Matthews, and Shay Whitcomb comprise the Astros’ makeshift outfield mix, plus Yordan Alvarez can chip in as a left fielder when he isn’t the designated hitter. Johnson can add some speed and defense at least at Triple-A to back up this group, and though his roster flexibility is limited since he is out of minor league options.
