Micah Johnson has found sudden success at Triple-A Gwinnett, but a return to the bigs isn’t on his mind just yet.
The Dodgers traded the 26-year-old to the Braves last offseason. While he’s played sparingly in the majors since 2015, he still has some perceived upside and is a controllable utility man through 2022.
But Johnson opened the season on the disabled list and was moved to the 60-day DL on May 8 with a wrist injury. The Braves now have Johan Camargo, Sean Rodriguez and Danny Santana as versatile chess pieces, making Johnson a long-shot roster candidate.
That hasn’t stopped him from surging early in his Gwinnett career. After five rehab assignment games in the lower levels, Johnson is hitting .378 in 11 games with the G-Braves. He’s scored and knocked in seven runs each in that span.
“I just swing the bat and find a hole,” he said. “That’s kind of how baseball goes these days. I realize, at this age, you just swing and pray, I guess.”
Johnson hasn’t accumulated enough time to even shake his rookie status, but ascending back to the majors isn’t an idea that’s consumed him.
“I’ve been around this game long enough,” he said. “I don’t even think about that stuff. I just try to play, take it day-by-day. It’s not like I’m a young prospect who’s never played in the big leagues before. So it’s not like I’m eager to see. I just play every single day, and if they need you, they need you; if they don’t, they don’t. Nothing you can do about it.”
The start is promising nonetheless. And Johnson’s utility man abilities make him an asset, even in an organization such as the Braves where there are options plentiful.
Yet in the small sample size, one area of concern remains glaring: strikeouts. Johnson owned a 20.4 percent strikeout rate in Triple-A during 2016. His rate is 20.9 in Gwinnett.
He’s also yet to steal a base, which was one of his calling cards as a prospect, especially after swiping 61 bags in 2013 with the White Sox’s Single-A affiliate. The Braves, ranking 21st in steals (43), could use the help.
When Johnson hits the ball, it’s found spots, as shown by his .500 average on balls in play. That number will regress to the mean, but the key to sustainable offense lies in Johnson mitigating his strikeouts.
“He’s swinging the bat well,” Gwinnett manager Damon Berryhill said. “He’s really been patient. He’s really taken what they’re giving him, not trying to do too much. He’s got a good swing working right now.”
Johnson’s found success on nights when others have not. Take the 5-1 home loss to the IronPigs on July 17 for instance, when Johnson had three of the team’s six hits. He’s appeared comfortable with the bat, which he credits to his time off.
“I’ve had a lot of months to think about hitting,” he said. “To think about my approach and what kind of player I am. When I was hurt, I worked really, really hard to comeback better than I ever was. That was just working on stuff without even swinging a bat. Mental approach, just watching the game. And try to slow things down at the plate. Understand my job is to get on base.”
His shortcomings and the Braves’ crowded infield are enough to delay a call-up. Johnson’s strikeouts, underutilized speed and lack of pop don’t help his cause moving forward.
In all, Johnson is happy to be healthy and on the field again. He’ll leave the rest to the decision makers above.
“I was out for a while,” he said. “It feels good to get out here with the guys, honestly. They’re pulling for you, I’m pulling for them. It’s just fun to play baseball again.”
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