Journeyman Dan Johnson has been a consistent source of offense for the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, and now he is ready to get his shot to do it again at the Major League level. The Toronto Blue Jays promoted the 34-year-old to fill the roster spot vacated when Adam Lind was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a foot fracture.
As we learned earlier this week, Adam Lind will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a non-displaced fracture in his right foot. The Blue Jays DH had been experiencing discomfort for weeks, but an MRI officially revealed the fracture earlier this week.
The Blue Jays announced the move via an official release on Twitter, following it up with a corresponding roster move, where the team designated Bobby Korecky for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
With Adam Lind hitting the DL, the Blue Jays were left with a hole at designated hitter and first base, especially with Edwin Encarnacion also on the disabled list. Johnson therefore became the obvious choice in a system devoid of alternatives at the position.
That’s not to say that Johnson hasn’t deserved the promotion. A veteran with 8 years of Major League and 13 years of Minor League experience, Johnson was slashing .248/.402/.471 with the Bisons, including 19 doubles, 17 home runs, and 54 RBI. His on-base percentage is boosted by a 19.6% walk rate at Buffalo.
He’ll try to fill the shoes of Lind, who while being heavily platooned this season, is sporting a .320/.389/.489 slash-line, but only 4 home runs to go along with 27 RBI in 61 games.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Blue Jays designated Bobby Korecky for assignment. This will be the second time this season that the 34-year-old Korecky has been designated for assignment in order to clear roster space for other moves.