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Braves' Johnson making technical swing adjustments in attempt to regain previous form

Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports

Chris Johnson knows he needs to do more in 2015 for the Atlanta Braves to be successful.

The third baseman is making some technical adjustments to his swing this spring in an attempt to regain his 2013 form, reports MLB.com's Mark Bowman.

Johnson is working on dropping his hands from eye level to below his right shoulder in order to gain a more consistent swing path. Hitting coach Kevin Seitzer is overseeing the change, and hopes it will eliminate the loop in Johnson's swing, which he believes contributed to a dip in his offensive output last season.

Johnson hit an impressive .321 with 12 homers and an .816 OPS in 2013, but his average fell to .263 with a .653 OPS (worst among qualified National League third basemen) last year. He does, however, absolutely crush left-handed pitching, as evidenced by his .395 average vs. southpaws.

The Braves averaged 3.54 runs per game in 2014, which ranked 29th in the majors. It's hard to imagine those numbers improving this year with the departures of Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis.

Atlanta needs Johnson to find his groove again more now than ever.

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