Taking One On The Shin

Before he dug in for a first-inning at bat yesterday, first baseman Nick Johnson had actually become one of Washington's most durable players. He had started 65 of the team's 70 games, and appeared in 69 of them. (So much for Manny Acta's preseason promise to take it easy with Nick.) His injury history no longer framed every little moment on the field -- every full-tilt swing, every awkward stolen base attempt, every slide into home. Gotta admit, during the early part of the year, I followed Johnson every time he did these things, almost waiting for the inevitable hammy tweak or back strain. But it never happened. By yesterday's game, Johnson's fragility was nearly out of my short-term memory. Now his ability (or lack thereof) to recover will get its first 2009 test, and how Johnson responds will go a long way to determining 1.) the functionality of Washington's (link)