Dan Johnson (baseball)

Dan Johnson
Oakland Athletics – No. 29
First Baseman
Bats: Left Throws: Right
debut
May 27, 2005, for the Oakland Athletics
Career statistics (through August 19, 2007)
Batting average	.248
Home runs	35
RBI	138
Teams
Oakland Athletics (2005–present)

Daniel Ryan "Dan" Johnson (b. August 10, 1979 in Coon Rapids, Minnesota) is a first baseman for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball. He graduated from Blaine High School in 1997 and attended the University of Nebraska.

Dan Johnson had an excellent rookie season with the A's in 2005, batting .275 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. He struggled early in 2006 and was demoted to the A's triple-A Pacific Coast League affiliate Sacramento River Cats in July. He returned to the A's as a September call-up and finished the season with a .234 batting average, 9 home runs and 37 RBI. This season brought great criticism for the young prospect. It was later found that he suffered from double vision, and he got it fixed for the 2007 season.

Johnson was expected to be the A's starting first baseman in 2007, but suffered a torn labrum in his hip late in spring training and missed the first three weeks of the season. He returned April 25 and proceeded to get a hit in 16 of his first 18 games. He was named American League co-Player of the Week with teammate Jack Cust for the week of May 7–13. Johnson is rumored to be traded in the near future since the A's up and coming minor league prospect Daric Barton expected to be playing for the A's soon. In the long term future, either Barton or current outfielder Nick Swisher is expected to be the starting first baseman and either Barton or Cust will be used as the primary designated hitter, putting Johnson on the bench if he remained with the A's.

External link

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• MLB.com player info page
• The Baseball Cube player page
• Template:Espn mlb