The Baltimore Orioles know they’re going to lose Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado for a few weeks to the World Baseball Classic. So don’t be surprised if you see Chris Johnson’s name in the Orioles lineup quite a bit during the exhibition season.
With Machado and Schoop away, Johnson admitted it was one of the many reasons he agreed to sign with the Orioles. Because of the World Baseball Classic, all eyes will be on Johnson, and he’ll do anything to impress the coaching staff.
“I think that was one of the things I liked about coming here,” said Johnson, who reported to the Ed Smith Stadium spring training complex on Thursday.