Micah Johnson didn’t get to swing a bat for weeks after suffering a left wrist fracture. But he said used the time to gain perspective, and that “blessing in disguise” helped him make it back to the majors.
The Braves recalled Johnson from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday to serve as a utility infielder/outfielder. Johnson suffered his injury during a March 14 spring training game and didn’t return from the disabled list until July 10.
In 11 games at Gwinnett, Johnson batted .378 (14-for-37) with five extra-base hits. He last played in the majors with the Dodgers in September.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think,” Johnson said. “‘Dry’ swings in my living room. Just think about your approach and kind of realize baseball is fun. You get it taken it away from you, you have time to think and reflect that it’s fun being out there. There’s not as much pressure. It makes you enjoy hitting again.”
The Braves sent the Dodgers cash in January for Johnson, 26. He played seven games for the Dodgers in 2016 and 36 games with the White Sox in 2015. Entering Friday he was hitting .226 with a .299 on-base percentage for his career.
