The Los Angeles Dodgers can?t wait for Steven Johnson?s body to catch up with his mind.
Johnson, a right-handed pitcher for Single-A Great Lakes, is 19, but many within the organization say he carries himself with the poise of a seasoned veteran. But that isn?t surprising, considering he?s the son of former Oriole pitcher Dave Johnson, who spent five seasons in the major leagues.
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“We don?t have to do a lot of teaching Steven how to pitch,” said Glenn Dishman, Great Lakes? pitching coach. “He is wise beyond his years. Most of what I do with him is working on how to pitch to different hitters.”
Johnson?s biggest obstacle has been staying healthy. The Brooklandville native has struggled since returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for two months this spring. Through Monday, Johnson was 1-5 with a 6.69 ERA, 35 strikeouts and 20 walks in 40.1 innings pitched.
“You don?t have any control over injuries,” said Johnson. “It?s also hard to look at the stats sometimes because it doesn?t say everything about how well a start went.”
But the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Johnson, who starred at St. Paul?s, said he doesn?t regret bypassing college in favor of turning a professional. He had the opportunity to pitch at Boston College before signing with the Dodgers, who selected him in the 13th round of the 2005 draft.
“I could have gone to college and turned pro three years later, but that would have put me behind where I am now,” Johnson said. “Now, I have the option of going back to school while working on getting to the majors at a younger age. It was a win-win decision for me.”
Dishman said the organization?s decision for Johnson?s extended stay on the disabled list was a precautionary measure so he wouldn?t risk further injury.
“Right now the key is to get Steven enough innings in the minors,” Dishman said. “The thing to remember is that he is still a kid and I can?t wait to see him pitch when he?s 25 or 26 years old.”
JOHNSON NOTES
» Johnson went 5-5 with a 3.89 ERA in 2006 for Single-A Ogden, which earned him a brief call-up to Double-A Jacksonville.
» Baseball America ranked Johnson as the Dodgers 16th best prospect.
» Johnson started his professional career by going 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA in six games for the Rookie League Gulf Coast Dodgers.
