The Braves have firmed up an injury-rehab plan for Chris Johnson that, barring any setbacks, will culminate with the third baseman coming off the disabled list to join them in San Francisco for a four-game series that starts Thursday.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Johnson, who’s been out just over three weeks recovering from a fracture and bone bruises in his left hand, is scheduled to get five at-bats in an extended spring-training game Friday, then take batting practice Saturday in Florida and Sunday with the Braves in Atlanta.
When the team leaves Sunday night for Los Angeles to start a 10-game, three-city West Coast road trip Monday, Johnson would head to one of the Braves’ minor league affiliates – Gonzalez said they’d announce which one Friday — for a brief rehab assignment.
“We’re going to give him probably a three-game stint someplace,” Gonzalez said. “And then if everything goes well he’ll join us in San Francisco.”
Gonzalez had said Monday that Johnson might rejoin the Braves for the entire trip, beginning with a three-game series Monday at Dodger Stadium. But team officials decided it’d be best to have him complete a rehab assignment and get 15-20 at-bats including the five he’ll get in the extended spring training game.
Johnson began the season in a third-base platoon with Albert Callaspo and later Kelly Johnson, and hit .279 (12-for-43) with four doubles, five RBIs and a .347 on-base percentage in 16 games before his injury. He was 5-for-13 (.385) against left-handers and 5-for-12 (.417) with runners in scoring position.
Kelly Johnson (strained oblique) and versatile Phil Gosselin (thumb fracture) hit well and were handling most of the third-base duties before eached landed on the 15-day DL after injured on the road trip that ended Sunday. Callaspo and Pedro Ciriaco are handling third base until Johnson returns.
Gosselin had surgery Wednesday for an avulsion fracture in his left thumb. He joined the team in the clubhouse Thursday and had his hand and arm in a sling, which he’ll use until surgical pins are removed in two weeks.
Gosselin is expected to be out for eight weeks, though he said he would probably try to talk the doctors and trainers into pushing up the rehab schedule a bit.
