Nats hire J. Johnson as Minors manager

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals have hired former infielder Josh Johnson as a manager for the Rookie-level GCL Nationals in the Gulf Coast League, according to a baseball source. The team talked to former first-base coach Tony Tarasco about the position in October, but he decided to go in a different direction.

Johnson, 29, played in the Minor Leagues for 12 seasons without a big league callup. He was drafted by the Royals in 2004 and ended his playing career in the Nationals organization, for which he played from 2010 through this past season.

The Nationals invited him to big league Spring Training in 2014, but he returned to Minor League camp early because of an injury.

Johnson is the son of former Major League catcher Larry Doby Johnson, who played with the Indians, Expos and White Sox.