Kelly Johnson - Fantasy News & Updates
Kelly Johnson - Fantasy News & Updates
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Considered to be a promising second-base option heading into the season, Johnson struggled through a nightmarish June and wound up losing his starting job to Martin Prado. With Prado expected to hold down the position heading into next year, Johnson may need to be traded before he gets the chance to rebound from this season's showing.
Kelly Johnson took Prado's place at second base,while Matt Diaz moved into the two-spot in the lineup for Wednesday's game. It looked as if Prado might need to be carted off the field initially, but he rose and made it back to the clubhouse with just a slight limp. X-rays results should go a long way toward determining whether he returns Wednesday or beyond.
Johnson has made the most of his first pair of starts since Aug. 22-23, going 4-for-9 with a couple of two-baggers over the last two games. However, it’s been a rough campaign for the 27-year-old second baseman, who’s batting just .222 with eight jacks and 26 RBIs in 97 contests after averaging nearly 70 RBIs, 90 runs and a .280 average over the last two years.
Once Prado began taking a prescribed anti-inflammatory medication last week, he started seeing positive results. Out since Aug. 18, he's expected to resume everyday duties as the Braves second baseman, bumping Kelly Johnson to the bench.
Anderson will begin swinging a bat again on Sunday and might also be available for Tuesday night's series opener against the Padres. Infante, who had been filling in productively for the headache-afflicted Martin Prado at second base, will likely continue to spell Anderson until the veteran is ready to go. Kelly Johnson will step in at second for the time being.
Johnson was a popular breakthrough candidate heading into this season, but early struggles resulted in him losing the Braves starting second base job to Martin Prado. That breakdown probably won't change barring a dramatic turnaround from Johnson.
Saturday's crucial blast might not have made up for losing the starting gig at second base to Martin Prado, but it's a start. Johnson has actually done a bit of damage in his limited role, belting homers in three of his past eight games, including one each in his past two. Prado's presence represents a pretty serious roadblock, but an injury or a prolonged cold stretch could re-open the door for Johnson at some point.
Because Prado didn't get hit directly on his ankle bone, the Braves opted not to X-ray his injury. With his ankle heavily taped, Prado was able to walk around the clubhouse after the game without much discomfort. While he said that he was hopeful to play on Friday, indications are he'll also likely miss a couple of starts. That means more playing time at second base for Kelly Johnson, who went hitless in four at-bats Thursday, dropping his average to .225.
Johnson has been mostly invisible since returning from the disabled list earlier this week, having lost the second base job to the nuclear-hot Martin Prado since going down with a wrist injury. Johnson launched 12 moon shots and found home 86 times last year, but it should take a prolonged cold stretch by Prado for him to reassert himself at the keystone.
Johnson had been on the DL with wrist tendinitis since July 3. He began the season as the Braves starting second baseman, but hit just .214 with five home runs and 20 RBIs before losing the job to Martin Prado. Johnson will now serve as a backup, playing second on days when Prado fills in at first or third. Conrad was 11-for-32 (.344 AVG) with two home runs and eight RBIs after being recalled in early July.
Johnson, sidelined since July 2 with wrist tendinitis, finished the game 3-for-4 with a pair of three-run homers. The veteran second baseman credits Gwinnett's hitting coach with his recent progress. "I had heard a lot of good things from Phil Wellman down in Mississippi, who's coached with him a lot," Johnson said of Dismuke. "He's been real good for me. If I've got some things to work on, if I say something's not going right, he's got some sort of drill and something to say that helps.” Johnson faces an uphill battle attempting to reclaim the second-base job from Martin Prado, who has caught fire in Johnson's absence.
Those numbers were more than enough for Prado to take over Atlanta's starting second-base job from Kelly Johnson. Johnson, who hit just .214 with five blasts and 20 RBIs, is expected to return from the 15-day DL this month, but it's hard to imagine him getting another shot while Prado is batting a ridiculous .412 this month.
Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday, July 3, with tendinitis in his right wrist, days after Martin Prado had replaced him as the regular second baseman.
Martin Prado will likely hold down the lion's share of the second base gig until Johnson's return after the All-Star break, but Conrad got the start on Saturday after hitting a three-run homer in his first Braves at-bat on Friday. Johnson, who has hit .198 with three homers and a .590 OPS in his past 63 games, began this season as Atlanta's everyday second baseman and leadoff hitter and remains the best fantasy bet of the bunch in the long term, but Prado is a decent plug-and-play in NL-only leagues until Johnson comes back. Conrad combined for 95 homers while spending the past four seasons at the Triple-A level with the Astros and A's, but it's unlikely he'll see enough time to make much of a fantasy impact.
The announcement comes one day after Prado posted career highs with four hits and four RBIs during Tuesday night's 5-4, 10-inning win over the Phillies. Had Prado not been battling a sore left groin, this was a move that possibly would have been made sooner. Over his past 37 games, Johnson has hit just .194 with a .261 on-base percentage and .333 slugging percentage. Making this slump even more maddening for Johnson was the fact that it included an eight-game stretch, during which he hit .342 with seven doubles, two homers, a .342 on-base percentage and a .727 slugging percentage. Keep a close eye on Prado's production over the next several days, and feel free to cut ties with Johnson.
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