Heading into spring training, the biggest task Daniel Johnson faced was earning a major league roster spot. The Cleveland Indians prospect impressed in Triple-A last season, but standing out among the team’s hoard of outfielders figured to be quite an uphill battle.
With a sprained ankle limiting him to just 17 plate appearances before baseball was suspended, Johnson didn’t make much ground this spring. Yet, with MLB considering roster expansion as part of its plans to launch the 2020 season, he might still get his chance to play for Cleveland this summer.
Unfortunately for Johnson, the situation is a little more complicated than it seems.
Casey Drottar is an Cleveland Indians writer for Sports Illustrated. Subscribe to his podcast, or follow him on Twitter and Facebook