A first for Johnson: No DL

Nationals notebook

By TODD JACOBSON

Date published: 8/30/2006

WASHINGTON--When Nick Johnson collided with Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur Sunday, straining a muscle in his chest, it looked much like the kind of freak injury that had plagued Johnson during his entire career.

He bruised his heel awkwardly landing on home plate last season and missed more than a month. He hurt his lower back diving for a ball in 2004 and missed nearly two months. In 2003, he missed 61 games after breaking a bone in his right hand.

In four not-so-full big league seasons entering this year, he'd never made it from start to finish without a stint on the disabled list.

But this year has been different.

Johnson has played in 124 of the Nationals' 131 games, and yesterday, he returned to the lineup, still a little sore from the collision but intent on finishing what has been his finest season strong--and healthy.

"You don't want to miss time," Johnson said. "You want to get out there and play."

In doing so, he's finally put together a complete season, one significant for the numbers he's put up as much as for the injuries he's avoided.

Entering yesterday's game, Johnson had a career-high 19 homers and 37 doubles, and he was nearing a career-high in RBIs. He had 74 last season and has 64 now.

Johnson, 28, is hitting .286, and with a strong finish, he could eclipse his high-water mark of .289. His .511 slugging percentage would be a career-high, as would his .423 on-base percentage.

"Some players, they get a reputation as being injury prone," manager Frank Robinson said. "It sticks with you no matter what. It's good to see him having the year he's putting together and the time he's spent on the field, to kind of put these things in the past."

Robinson said he envisions Johnson hitting above .300 with more power--both homers and extra-base hits--and hitting coach Mitchell Page said it's not a stretch to think Johnson could hit 30 home runs in a season.

"This is the first year he's kind of putting together a year--not parts of it, not fractions of a year," Robinson said. "He's starting to put the year together. I just think he's capable of doing more and will."

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Date published: 8/30/2006