Congratulations to former T-Bones pitcher (and Kansas City area native) Kris Johnson, who made his Major League debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Johnson threw six innings in relief, and gave up two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. On Monday, the Pirates optioned Johnson back to triple-A Indianapolis, but Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle had high praise for Johnson after Sunday’s game.

“I told him I was just so proud of him,” Hurdle was quoted as saying on mlb.com. “It's one of the great honors you have as a Major League manager, is penciling a guy's name in the lineup to make his Major League debut. The job he did for us was exciting to watch and obviously well-needed for our club and our bullpen.”