The Rays claimed Dan Johnson off waivers from the A's earlier this week, and from jump street it was a little awkward trying to find him playing time. He was supposed to add depth at first base behind Carlos Pena and Eric Hinske, but once it became apparent that Pena's sore right hamstring wasn't going to keep him out of the lineup for long, Johnson never got a chance to get into the game. And now, he never will.
The Rays acquired Gabe Gross from the Brewers on Wednesday, and he didn't just take Johnson's spot on the roster, he took his uniform number, too. From the Tampa Tribune:
The No. 26 jersey the Rays assigned to Dan Johnson when he joined the team Tuesday had a different name across the back Wednesday - that of the man who had just replaced Johnson on the roster.So now, Johnson is right back where he started: designated for assignment, with 10 days to see if the Rays will trade or release him. He's tallied just a single at-bat this year but he could be useful for a lot of teams looking for a 1B/DH type. In fact, it wouldn't be a surprise if he ended up back in the Bay Area, not with the A's but with the Giants. At the very least, he's getting some frequent flyer miles out of this.
The arrival Wednesday of Gabe Gross, acquired by the Rays from the Brewers the previous evening, meant somebody had to go. That somebody was Johnson, who was designated for assignment in a turn of events Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman described as "awkward."
