K. Johnson inserted into lineup after activation

ATLANTA - Kelly Johnson jumped straight back into his pre-disabled list form Thursday night at Turner Field, helping push the Braves to a 4-1 victory over the Padres with a 3-for-4 night at the plate as well as a diving catch in the outfield.

"It was a good first day," Johnson said. "Obviously that's how you'd like to see it. It doesn't always work out that way, but it doesn't work out that way even when you've been playing 20 games in row sometimes -- it's just baseball."

Johnson's strong performance started with his first at-bat against Padres starter Tyson Ross, as the left fielder singled to right field and drove in Nick Markakis from second base to get Atlanta on the board.

While he didn't drive in any more runs or score himself the rest of the game, Johnson helped the Braves keep pressure on the Padres pitching staff, singling again in the fourth and eighth innings.

Johnson missed 24 games with a right oblique strain, but still is second on the team with six home runs.

The Braves activated Johnson from the 15-day disabled list Wednesday and optioned Joey Terdoslavich to Triple-A Gwinnett just a day after his game-winning, first career home run Tuesday night in a 6-5 win against the Padres.

Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said they waited until today to tell Terdoslavich he was going back to Gwinnett.

"He took it really well," Gonzalez said. "He knows, he's been around a little bit. He's only had 30 at-bats after missing two and a half months, so I told him, 'Hey go down there in Triple-A, get 40-50 at-bats, and make us make a decision.'"

In the meantime, the Braves are happy to have Johnson available again and Gonzalez immediately inserted him into the Atlanta lineup for the third game against the Padres. Johnson started in left field and batted sixth.

Before going down with an oblique injury, Johnson was the team's main source of power production, hitting six home runs in 28 games (81 at-bats), while posting a .259 batting average and .829 OPS at second, third, left, right and as a pinch hitter.

Johnson played two games in Gwinnett before being activated, hitting a triple in seven at-bats.

"It was good being able to play again, number one, and being healthy," Johnson said. "With the injury I had, not swinging the bat, it's been a day-by-day progression … it's not like I've just been down there swinging the bat and all that.

"But everything's good health-wise, [which] is what I was mostly concerned about, and I've felt really good for the past week."