Nick Johnson sidelined by back injury

nick johnson swinging.jpg Yankees DH Nick Johnson has missed two games in a row and is likely out until Tuesday due to lingering back stiffness, according to Chad Jennings of The Journal News.

Johnson isn’t concerned that it will be a long-term issue, for what it’s worth. But he has been plagued by injuries for most of his career and any kind of ailment is rightfully going to be met with a speculative eye.

The 31-year-old Johnson is batting just .135 in 52 at-bats this season, but he has drawn 18 walks in 16 games for a .375 on-base percentage. And that’s exactly why he bats in the two-hole for the Yanks, ahead of perennial All-Stars like Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano. New York is off to a 12-5 start this year, right behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East standings.

Major League Baseball put Cubs shortstop Addison Russell on administrative leave pursuant to its domestic violence policy the other day. The thought at the time was that the move was made solely because Russell’s ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, had written a blog post reiterating past claims of domestic violence. As Ken Rosenthal reports, however, that’s not all they had:

The post alone would not have been enough for baseball to force Russell off the field under its joint domestic violence policy with the players’ union. The league had additional credible information, according to sources familiar with its investigation.

The league’s investigation includes interviews with Reidy and numerous other witnesses, and with officials gathering additional information since Russell went on leave, sources said.

Reidy’s allegations alone, once assessed by MLB, would likely be enough to warrant Russell a suspension. That there is more out there would seem to make the case against him even stronger. The upshot: I think it’s extraordinarily unlikely that Russell will be back with the Cubs this year.

Follow @craigcalcaterra