Fantasy Baseball: Is Elliot Johnson a Short-Term Fix?

Tampa Bay infielder Elliot Johnson was used sparingly prior to Evan Longoria’s injury. Recently, he has seen an increase in action, as the Rays have shuffled their lineup to counter the loss of Longoria.

Johnson has delivered. Prior to going 0-for-3 last night, he had hits in all eight games from May 9 through May 16, sporting a .462 batting average. He had five runs over the span, but that is a little misleading, because three came on May 13 and the other two on May 10. Johnson also had four RBI during the stretch.

The key category that Johnson has delivered in—other than the batting average, of course—is stolen bases. He swiped four bags over that stretch. He certainly has the green light to go, and if he can keep getting on base, he could be a terror on the basepaths.

He had struggled mightily prior to this hot streak, hitting .182 in April. In 160 at-bats last year, he only hit .194. He didn’t even hit well at Triple-A Durham last year, with a .222 average. He did flash potential in 2010, though, by hitting .319 for the Durham Bulls.

Johnson is widely available in most fantasy leagues, as he is owned in only about 10 percent of Yahoo! and ESPN leagues. Given his age (28) and track record, that isn’t surprising.

When Longoria returns, it could complicate matters, but if you’re looking for infield help, especially in the SB category, Johnson could be a nice short-term answer. Realize that he has a track record for struggling at the plate, so his leash should be very short.

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