BLUE JAYS’ JOHNSON ACCEPTS ARBITRATION

By ROCKET SPORTS and ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK on December 8, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE courtesy of the Toronto Blue Jays

TORONTO, ONTARIO

Thursday, December 8, 2011

2B KELLY JOHNSON accepted the Toronto Blue Jays offer of arbitration on Wednesday evening and returns to the Blue Jays 40-man roster.

JOHNSON, 29, was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 23 and appeared in 33 games for the Blue Jays, batting .270 with three home runs and nine RBI. The Austin, Texas native posted a .222 average overall in 2011, with 21 home runs, 58 RBI and 16 stolen bases between the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays in 147 games. Over his six year career Johnson has recorded a .260 average and a .343 on base percentage with Atlanta, Arizona and Toronto.

A corresponding roster move will be made later today (Thursday) to make room on the 40-man roster