Major League Baseball

Astros' Johnson eager to begin after strong 2010

Published Feb. 26, 2011 8:08 p.m. ET

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Chris Johnson moved to Houston over the winter, which says a lot about what kind of rookie year he had.

The Astros third baseman would not have moved away from his southwest Florida roots to a place he didn't expect to be for a while.

''I hope so,'' Johnson said Saturday. ''This is the first spring that I know I'm going to have a job.''

Johnson led all major league rookies with a .308 batting average last season. The Astros, who open their exhibition season Monday, will give him every chance to pick up where he left off.

It's a new feeling.

''I'm trying not to let it (change anything),'' Johnson said. ''They're telling me to make sure you're relaxed and ready to go when the season starts; don't try to win a job on the first day like I have every other spring.

''So I'm trying to pace myself. It's a learning process; this is the first time for me. I'm kind of watching the other (veterans) and trying to go about my business like they would.''

The 26-year-old Johnson tore up the Grapefruit League with eight home runs last spring and began the season on Houston's roster. Hesitant to read too much into spring training numbers, the Astros might have sent him down if Lance Berkman had not started the season on the disabled list.

But Johnson batted only 22 times before straining an oblique muscle, then spent another six weeks in Triple-A before being called back up. He hit .316 with 11 home runs after the All-Star break.

''Everybody wants to play in the big leagues and have success in the big leagues, but until you get there and have some success, you're still kind of wondering if you can. I proved to myself that I can do it,'' he said. ''Defensively I've got some stuff to work on. That's one of the reasons I moved to Houston, to work with our infield coach, Bobby Meacham. But I've got some things to work on on both sides of the ball.''

For now, he is eager to face some opposing pitchers after seven days of organized workouts.

''There's only so much batting practice and flips you can do,'' he said. ''Really we're not going to find out much about our swings until we start seeing live pitching, so we're all kind of anxious.''

Notes: The regular position players will not participate in Sunday's six-inning intrasquad game. Pitching one inning each will be Nelson Figueroa, David Carpenter, Ross Wolf, Jose Valdez, Jorge DeLeon, Arcenio Leon, Fernando Abad, Casey Fien, Cesar Carillo, Douglas Arguello, Patrick Urckfitz and Jordan Lyles. ... Wandy Rodriguez will pitch Monday's exhibition opener against Atlanta's Derek Lowe, and Brett Myers will pitch against the Braves' Tommy Hanson on Tuesday. ... With 63 players in camp, the Astros will play six split-squad games this spring in order to get as much evaluation done as possible. ''It's nice being able to get these guys at bats in those types of games, in front of a crowd and so forth,'' said manager Brad Mills.

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