Reed

Johnson

Johnson, hitting .292, is viewed by manager Carlos Tosca as the everyday leadoff hitter and left fielder, and will probably be handed those same roles to start 2004. Be sure you don’t overbid.

Johnson is hitting .339 after going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored last night. Phelps is hitting .269 and leading the AL in strikeouts. Now that Shannon Stewart is healthy, look for the Jays to stick with the hot hand, which belongs to Johnson at the moment.

Maybe Johnson, who isn’t a prospect, can now give way to Jayson Werth, who is, as the top reserve outfielder in Toronto.

Frank Catalanotto shifts to left field, while Jayson Werth will be the backup outfielder. Johnson, with a .390 on-base percentage, will continue to lead off. He’s 0-for-2 in stolen base attempts, but he stole 42 at Double-A in 2001. He’s got the potential, but current management in Toronto has done away with stolen bases, sacrifices, and the like from the offensive strategy.

''Reed’s one of those guys, when he gets hot, he gets hot,’' said Gibbons of Johnson, who hit .333 in July. ''He’s been playing good. We look for that hot hand.’'

It’s the second time this season he’s had mutliple extra-base hits in a game, the other being a two-homer game against the Red Sox. Johnson was supposed to be getting extra playing time versus righties now, but Alex Rios’ recent hot streak has changed that.

Kielty and Frank Catalanotto are the best leadoff options the Jays have, but since they have more fantasy value batting lower in the lineup, their owners shouldn’t be displeased. Johnson’s numbers have been dropping over the past couple of weeks and should continue to decline. He’s a sell-high candidate.

Johnson was already playing over his head in the first two months, but he’s taken it even further this month, hitting .432 with three homers in 44 at-bats. He’ll continue to get playing time at Catalanotto’s expense, even though Catalanotto is sporting a 949 OPS. There’s got to be something in the water.

Toronto was up 4-3 going into the ninth. Johnson was only starting against a right-hander because Vernon Wells was out. The homers were his second and third of the season. He’s batting .351 in 111 at-bats.

Johnson, the only Jay on the night with more than one hit, came in with just 16 hits in 19 games this month, so this was a welcome sight. Now that he’s playing every day, Johnson needs to maintain his production if the Jays have a hope of crawling back into the race. He’s now batting .326 for the year.