2 Kelly Johnson, 2B

Rays outfielder Kelly Johnson led the Tampa Bay offense to a 12-10 win in Baltimore on Friday. Johnson drove in four of those runs.

Batting seventh, Johnson went 3 for 5 with his sixth home run. He went deep off Jason Hammel for a three-run blast in the third inning. He added a RBI single in the fifth and also doubled in the game as he fell just a triple shy of the cycle.

Johnson has gone 21 for 59 (.356) over his last 15 games with 10 runs scored, four doubles, three homers and 17 RBI.

Rays infielder/outfielder Kelly Johnson spent a little extra time Wednesday working on improving his throws from left field to home plate, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

"I've had a couple throws to home that should have been a little better," he said. "It's just something I like to do."

Rays infielder Kelly Johnson got off to a slow start, leading many Fantasy owners resigned to the fact that his solid power was simply not worth the hit to his batting average. After another multi-hit game Wednesday, Johnson is now batting .283 on the season, and looking like a much more attractive Fantasy option.

After his first 20 games, Johnson was batting just .193, and looking very much like the disappointing Fantasy option of the previous two seasons. In nine games since, Johnson has been absolutely on fire while sacrificing power for a better all-around approach at the plate. Johnson is hitting .429 with one home run and 13 RBI over that stretch.

Johnson's hot streak should cause Fantasy owners to be more aggressive in picking him up, and I think that's the right move.

Middle infielders with 20-plus home run potential do not grow on trees, and if his average is palatable, there is a lot to like about Johnson. 

Rays second baseman Kelly Johnson picked up his second three-hit game in his last three contests Wednesday against Toronto. 

Batting second, Johnson went 3 for 4 with his fifth home run of the season. He went deep in the sixth inning for a two-run shot. He added a double and scored three times. 

Johnson has gone 16 for 38 (.421) over his last 10 games with two homers, two doubles and 13 RBI. He's up to 18 RBI on the year. 

I'm not saying the Rays' Kelly Johnson is a top-10 second baseman, as so many of us predicted he'd be long ago, but he's shown he has something to offer to those who might have to dig a little deeper at a weak position.

Over his last 16 games, he's batting .300 with three homers, a double, a triple and three steals, which suggests maybe he's not as bad as he's looked the last two years.

Of course, given his track record, we know he could go cold at a moment's notice, but if I was desperate for something halfway useful at second base, I'd opt for Johnson over Yuniesky Betancourt, who the law of averages says has already used up his hot streak.