In addition to resting some pitchers and getting Jason Heyward back in action, the Braves could use time the next two weeks to get veteran pinch hitter Reed Johnson going again.
Johnson was activated from the disabled list Monday in Miami after missing the previous six weeks with Achilles tendinitis. Entering Sunday’s series finale with the Padres, he had yet to appear in a game.
Johnson’s biggest issue has been running, and he’s made some strides in that department recently. Johnson had ramped up his running when the Braves were in St. Louis and had to shut it back down again. But he said 7-10 days’ of rest before he started running again in Miami have done him some good.
“I’m probably like 75, 80 percent somewhere in there,” Johnson said. “So I feel like I’m getting there.”
Johnson is the Braves best pinch hitter. Despite all the time missed, he’s still leading the National League with a .355 (11-for-31) batting average as a pinch hitter and is tied for second in the NL in pinch hits. He led the majors with 18 pinch hits last year.
Rookie Joey Terdoslavich has been filling that role recently and gaining a new appreciation for how difficult it is. He was on an 0-for-16 streak, including 0-for-8 as a pinch hitter, entering Sunday.
“It’s not easy,” Johnson said. “When you first come up, you can do it because you’ve got some at-bats under your belt in the minor leagues. But when you sit for a week or so at a time and you’re getting sporadic at-bats, it becomes a little bit tougher. You’ve just got to figure out how to manage that. It’s kind of new territory for him, so. Hopefully I can relieve him of some of those duties.”
Johnson, a veteran of 11 seasons, has never seen action in a playoff game. He was on the Braves playoff roster for last year’s one-game wildcard playoff but did not get in the game. He’ll help his cause by showing he can run enough to play some outfield as well.
“Hopefully by the last week of the season or so, this thing will be resolved to the point where I’m out there able to play defense at a high level,” Johnson said. “And that way, (I can get) three or four at-bats a day rather than just one. That way I can find myself a better rhythm.”
