Injury riddled Red Sox get Johnson
Cleveland will get a player to be named or cash in the deal.
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox obtained pitcher Jason Johnson Wednesday, a day after the right-hander was designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians.
The Red Sox, beset by injuries to starting pitchers, gave up a player to be named or cash for Johnson, 1-8 with a 7.38 ERA in his last 10 starts.
Johnson, signed in the off-season after two years with Detroit, is 3-8 this season and has allowed 10 homers and 108 hits in 77 innings.
Three Red Sox starters -- right-hander Matt Clement and left-handers David Wells and Lenny DiNardo -- are on the disabled list.
Kyle Snyder, obtained on waivers from Kansas City, made his first start for Boston Monday in a 6-3 win over Washington and was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket after Tuesday night's game, opening a roster spot for Johnson.
Rookie Jon Lester was scheduled to make his third start for the Red Sox Wednesday night.
Boston is off today and Monday and was expected to go with four starters -- Lester, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield -- through the end of June.
Johnson, 32, has pitched at least 189 innings in four of his last five seasons. He has a 5.89 ERA this season and a 4.95 ERA and a 55-94 record for his career.
Ineffective for Tribe
The Indians signed Johnson and righty Paul Byrd as free agents before the season to help make up for the loss of Kevin Millwood, who signed with Texas. But Johnson was ineffective again Monday when he allowed two homers in a 12-8 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Johnson, a good ground-ball pitcher, reached the majors in 1997 with Pittsburgh where he worked in three games. He spent the next season with Tampa Bay, making 13 starts with a 2-5 record. After five seasons in Baltimore, he went to Detroit in 2004.
He was 8-15 with a 5.13 ERA that season and 8-13 with a 4.54 ERA last year when he pitched a career high 210 innings.