Johnson (elbow) started a throwing program in October and expects to return midseason, MLB.com reports. Johnson underwent Tommy John surgery toward the end of last April, so the earliest return date given the usual timetable would likely be around the start of May. He did sign a one-year deal with the Padres in December, so clearly the team expects that he could be productive this season. In his last full season in 2012, Johnson posted a 3.81 ERA with 165 strikeouts in 191.1 innings.