Marlins shut down Josh Johnson for the rest of the season

After skipping several turns in the rotation Josh Johnson has officially been shut down for the remainder of the season with a strained back. Johnson currently leads the league with a 2.30 ERA and his 183.2 innings are enough to qualify for the leaderboard, which means Adam Wainwright (2.38), Mat Latos (2.43), Roy Halladay (2.44) and company will need to get their marks to 2.29 or lower to win the NL crown. In addition to the back problems he’s also been bothered by shoulder soreness, and with the Marlins nine games back in the NL East at 73-69 there’s no reason to risk anything with the 26-year-old ace. Johnson hasn’t pitched since September 4, when he racked up a dozen strikeouts in six innings of two-run ball while falling to 11-6, and is owed $35 million for the next three seasons as part of an extension signed in January.