April 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Not much will be as majestic as Jason Heyward's home run into the Braves bullpen on Opening Day his rookie season. But he took another joy ride to right field on Sunday afternoon on a shot 392 feet down the line, landing in the second tier of seats in the lower level. "That was pretty good there," said Heyward, when asked if that was as far as he could hit a ball down the line and still keep it fair. "Off the bat, I knew it was far enough, just hope it stays fair. I didn't even see it land. I just saw it would stay fair and was thankful for that. I was glad I could make the adjustment going from the first at-bat.""
April 2
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves fans concerned after Jason Heyward left Sunday's game in the fourth inning can breathe a little easier. It was apparently just cramping in his upper left leg. Manager Fredi Gonzalez replaced Heyward immediately and said he wouldn't be in the lineup Monday when the Braves play their final Grapefruit League game against the New York Mets. "Why take a chance this late in spring training with any of that kind of stuff?" said Gonzalez, who replaced Heyward in the bottom of the fourth inning of a 7-7 tie against Philadelphia, as soon as the right fielder said his leg cramped when he chased a ball in the outfield. "He's made so much progress and you don't want a setback now.""
March 30
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Space Coast Stadium has been open for 18 years and, near as anyone can tell, only one homer's been hit where Jason Heyward put one Thursday. In the fifth inning of a 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, the Braves outfielder hit a monster home run to straightaway center that sailed over the 35-foot green wall that serves as the "batter's eye" backdrop. It's 404 feet to the base of the wall. "I think he just missed it," cracked Nationals pitcher Edwin Jackson, who threw the fastball that Heyward demolished. "I got that one pretty good," said Heyward, who homered for the second consecutive game and fourth time this spring. "I knew I got it great. He throws pretty hard. I put a good swing on"
March 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward began Wednesday batting .190 with a .250 on-base percentage for the spring, but by the end of the day there was plenty of reason for the Braves and their right fielder to feel good about the direction he seemed headed. He's had games recently that didn't look as good in the boxscore as on the field, but Wednesday he got results. Heyward had two hits including a tying two-run homer in the ninth inning, and prevented three runs with a home run-saving catch in the third inning and a running catch in shallow center for the last out of the Braves' 5-5, 10-inning tie with the New York Yankees."
March 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward's first home run of the spring came against Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg on Wednesday, and he added a line-drive double off the right-field wall in the same game. But in the other four of his past five games before Friday, the right fielder was 0-for-15 with five strikeouts. Heyward was hitting .176 (6-for-34) with two doubles, one homer, two walks and 12 strikeouts. Hitting coach Greg Walker cautioned at the beginning of camp that there would be some rough days on the road to getting him back to being a consistent offensive force. Heyward said things clicked in the game against Washington. "Timing was there," he said. "I'm not necessarily worried about a swing – the swing"
March 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
The Braves sure haven't done much to fan the flames of the Stephen Strasburg phenomenon. Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward homered off the young Washington Nationals ace and the Braves scored four in four innings against him in a 6-5 Grapefruit League game Wednesday night. Uggla had a two-run homer in the first inning and Heyward homered in the fourth. Uggla added a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in front of the left-field wall to make him 6-for-7 with two homers and eight RBIs lifetime against Strasburg. Strasburg is 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA in two regular-season starts against the Braves, 6-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 15 starts against everyone else. Heyward added a double off the right-field wall in the"
February 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist David O'Brien
"
When a reporter mentioned this week that Jason Heyward had dropped about 20 pounds during the offseason and asked Chipper Jones if he'd noticed a difference in Heyward's physique and how it affected his swing, Jones smiled and pretty much scoffed. For the record, the nearly 6-foot-5 right fielder has gone from an imposing, chiseled 256 pounds to a chiseled, imposing 235. In terms to which some of our readers may better relate, Heyward's gone from D-1 defensive end to D-1 tight end."
October 5
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Last winter and at spring training, Braves general manager Frank Wren was asked if he would try to sign Jason Heyward to a long-term contract, as Tampa Bay did with Evan Longoria early in his rookie season and Milwaukee with Ryan Braun after his rookie year. Last week, Wren was asked about a rumor that the Braves might consider trading Heyward after a disappointing, injury-plagued second season. "We've never had one discussion about trading Jason Heyward," Wren said. "That's the furthest thing from our mind. That's never come up. Nobody's contemplated it.""
October 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist David O'Brien
"
Two days after the Braves were eliminated from the postseason, Braves general manager Frank Wren shared his thoughts about where the Braves go from here. In a candid interview Friday with selected members of the media, Wren said he didn't envision Derek Lowe with a spot in the starting rotation next season as of now. He said the Braves have no plans to trade Jason Heyward but he will have to fight for a job in right field. And he stood behind the job manager Fredi Gonzalez did despite the Braves' September collapse. Here are excerpts from that hour-long interview. Q. What about Derek Lowe? A. He had a very tough finish to the year, and going into next season there's, it's hard to"
September 25
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
While he's not back to being the absolute offensive force he was for much of his 2010 rookie season, Jason Heyward recently has sure been closer to that than to his lackluster performance for most of this seaon. And that resurgence is good news for the Braves and their 22-year-old right fielder. "Exactly right, it's a good time to have it," said Heyward, who had two hits in Friday's win and is 11-for-35 (.314) with a .432 on-base percentage in his past 12 games, with two doubles, a homer and eight walks. "Couldn't come at a better time. It's great to have that kind of momentum personally. "Obviously our goal is to make the playoffs, because you've got to be in it to win it. But it's just"
September 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
When Jason Heyward drew six walks in five games beginning Sept. 7 in Philadelphia, he showed Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez glimpses of his old self. That has prompted Gonzalez to start Heyward in 11 of the 12 games since, over the speedy Jose Constanza, with an eye toward getting Heyward going for a possible return to the postseason. "You see some good at-bats, you see walks, you see him getting on base," Gonzalez said. "(If) you get that big boy there swinging the bat like he's capable of doing, that's a big plus for us.""
September 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
If you follow the Braves and/or spend much time around other Braves fans, maybe you've heard it. Perhaps in a hushed tone, with raised eyebrows as if the person saying it is implying, "I'm not saying I believe it, but…" If you've been online much, you've probably seen it on Twitter or in blog comments. It's this: Freddie Freeman is to Jason Heyward as Brian McCann is to Jeff Francoeur. There, I typed it. But I had an eyebrow raised while typing it. Because it's way too early to make that assessment, in my view. Not when Heyward, a consensus pick as the top prospect in baseball before his arrival, had 18 homers, a whopping .393 on-base percentage and .849 OPS in 142 games as a"
August 24
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
His second season has been a struggle for Braves right fielder Jason Heyward, but Cubs fans might find that hard to believe. Heyward hit a fourth-inning grand slam, the first of his career, and the Braves hung on to beat the Cubs 5-4 on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, pushing their winning streak to six games and their record to a season-high 26 games over .500. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth for his 40th save to tie the major league rookie record set last season by Neftali Feliz of Texas. Kimbrel leads the majors in saves and has a streak of 31 2/3 scoreless innings over 32 appearances since June 11. Rookie phenoms from this season and last (Heyward) helped the"
August 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist Mark Bradley
"
Writing for ESPN Insider, Dayn Perry of FanGraphs asks the question many among us have asked: What happened to Jason Heyward? (Link requires registration.) Using the best data known to man and computers, Perry offers this telling snapshot: Heyward is trending in the wrong direction when it comes to line-drive percentage (17.8 percent in 2010 to 13.9 percent in 2011), infield pop-ups (8.4 percent to 24.7 percent) and batting average on balls in play (.335 to .245). In the case of his declining BABIP, there's almost certainly some bad luck involved, but the remaining indicators are more troubling. Additionally, he's swinging at 44.8 percent of pitches overall, up from 39.4 percent"
August 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Right fielder Jason Heyward was in the Braves' lineup Thursday night, and outfielder Jose Constanza was on the bench for the first time since joining the major league team. Since being promoted from Triple-A on July 29, Constanza caused a stir while hitting .385 in 18 consecutive starts - six in left field, three in center and nine in right ahead of struggling Heyward. Manager Fredi Gonzalez gave Constanza a rest Thursday against the Giants and ace Tim Lincecum. "You don't want Jason sitting for three, four, five days at a time," he said. "Get him in there. He's got a little bit of history against Lincecum [Heyward was 2-for-7 with three walks against him before Thursday]. Get him in"
August 10
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
For the fifth time in eight games, hot-hitting rookie Jose Constanza was in the Braves' lineup in right field instead of Jason Heyward on Tuesday, Heyward's 22nd birthday. Handling his recent part-time status better than some of his fans online, Heyward said he fully understood the move by manager Fredi Gonzalez. "We need to win," he said. "We need the best team possible on the field. We're 8-1/2 games back or something like that, and I'm not sure how many we're up in the wild card, but we need to win as many games as possible. [Gonzalez] has been patient with me, as has everybody." Heyward was hitting .222 with 12 homers, 30 RBIs and a .317 on-base percentage in 88 games before Tuesday,"
August 4
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
By now, most of you have already seen the Braves lineup, and already deduced that Jason Heyward is out of the lineup today against the Nationals, even with a right-hander going in Chien-Ming Wang. It's the first time this season Heyward will sit for consecutive games this season for reasons not relating to his health. The way Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez put it Wednesday morning, he's going with the hot hand. Jose Constanza has given the Braves a spark since his arrival on Friday, and gone 8-for-20 with a double and two RBIs in his first five major league starts. Gonzalez put Eric Hinske in left field because Hinske has a great history against Wang – going 13-for-30 (.433) against him"
July 27
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
The '97 Marlins were a free agent-infused bunch that had an abundance of swagger, plenty of power and speed in their lineup (Gary Sheffield, Moises Alou, Bobby Bonilla, Devon White, Charles Johnson, Jeff Conine), a potent bench (Cliff Floyd, Jim Eisenreich), a deep starting rotation (Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Alex Fernandez) and strong bullpen anchored by closer Robb Nen. They also had an extremely young and talented middle-infield duo of shortstop Edgar Renteria, 21, and second baseman Luis Castillo, 20. And while they were a thrill to watch defensively, by midseason it seemed apparent that only Renteria looked fit for a pennant race with the bat. When the Marlins were treading water during"
July 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
After coming from behind twice Thursday afternoon to beat the Rockies 9-6 and salvage a four-game series split, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez seemed anxious to get through his postgame interviews and get to the airport. "Let's get on the bird before they ask us to play another game here tomorrow," he said. "Because that's a pretty good club. I believe that club is getting ready to get hot." Brooks Conrad's home run began a four-run rally in the seventh inning that turned a one-run deficit into a 9-6 lead in a game Colorado had led 4-0 after two innings. Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward also homered for the Braves, while Tommy Hanson picked up his 11th win and Craig Kimbrel collected his"
July 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward is back in the 2-hole today, back where he thrived last season. But he's there because Jordan Schafer jammed a finger sliding Wednesday night and was scratched from the lineup this morning when he couldn't swing without pain. With Schafer out of the leadoff spot today, Martin Prado was moved from the 2-hole to the top of the order and Nate McLouth is playing center. Dan Uggla is also out of the lineup as expected, after straining his left calf in Wednesday's game. He hopes to play tomorrow, but said it might be Saturday or Sunday at Cincinnati. Fredi Gonzalez said he's reluctant to even pinch-it Uggla today because he doesn't want him to exacerbate the injury. (Actually he"
July 20
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward was out of the lineup for a second game in a row Tuesday, after being hit in the left foot by a pitch Sunday. This time it was the manager's decision. "I let [Fredi Gonzalez] know before we got here that I wanted to play," Heyward said before batting practice Tuesday. "He said he'd like for me to take another day, just to make sure. So I'm going to do everything today and run around on it, and play [Wednesday]." On Monday, Heyward was in the lineup until he went to Gonzalez after batting practice to tell the manager he couldn't push off properly when running in the outfield."
July 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Here's another example of how Jason Heyward's season has gone: He was a late scratch from the lineup Monday against Colorado with a contusion to his left foot, from where he was hit by a pitch on Sunday. Wouldn't you know, Heyward was 5-for-5 in his career against Jason Hammel, the Rockies' starter Monday. About 2-1/2 hours before the game, manager Fredi Gonzalez said Heyward was fine. But an hour before the first pitch, the announcement was made – Heyward scratched, Nate McLouth would start in right field and bat eighth. Eric Hinske, already in the lineup in left field, and shortstop Alex Gonzalez each moved up a spot in the order, to sixth and seventh. Heyward was available to"
July 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
After Jason Heyward's sensational 2010 rookie season, no one could've imagined the Braves right fielder being overshadowed this year by his friend and longtime former roommate, Freddie Freeman. So far, he has been. But Thursday against Colorado, Heyward served a reminder of what he can do when healthy - a three-hit game with a double and his ninth home run, plus another would-be infield hit erased by an umpire's bad call. Freeman also had three hits Thursday including his fourth homer in four days, a three-run opposite-field blast in a five-run third inning that keyed the Braves' 6-3 win. The 21-year-old rookie first baseman has hit .299 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in his past 24 games,"
June 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
In their first visit to the Pacific Northwest since 2003, the Braves on Monday unveiled the largest leadoff man in the major leagues. For the series opener against the Seattle Mariners, Jason Heyward was penciled in the leadoff spot for the first time in his big-league career. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez laughed when someone asked what hat he used to make out the lineup. As in, drawing players' names from a hat. "I used brain power," he said. "I had some cod oil, supposed to be good for brain function." Just don't expect the 6-foot-5, 248-pound right fielder to make many more starts there. Gonzalez explained that with the Brave facing a good left-hander, Erik Bedard, he wanted to give"
June 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward felt so good Monday and Tuesday in a minor-league rehabilitation stint that he didn't need batting practice Wednesday to prove it to Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. Just a conversation. It consisted of four words: "Are you ready?" and "Yes." Heyward was activated from the disabled list and returned to the Braves' lineup for the first time since May 19 in Anaheim. He said his inflamed right shoulder is much improved after three weeks of rest and five days of working his way back into the feel of swinging a bat. "I feel pain-free and able to make adjustments when I need to," said Heyward, who went 1-for-6 with a double and a walk in two games for Triple-A Gwinnett. "... To cover"
June 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Hello there, and happy Jason Heyward Bobblehead night….which is going to be a pretty good way to punctuate his return from the disabled list. Update: The Braves announced this afternoon that Heyward had been activated from the disabled list and is in the starting lineup for the first time since May 19. Freeman is out of the lineup as the Braves are going to play it cautious with his strained right oblique. (Lineup: 1. Schafer CF, 2. Uggla 2B, 3. McCann C, 4. Jones 3B, 5. Hinske 1B, 6. Gonzalez SS, 7. Heyward RF, 8. Mather LF, 9. Hudson P.) Heyward told a person close to him this morning that he's feeling good and ready to return to the lineup. After two minor league rehab games with"
June 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward has felt so good the last two days in a minor league rehabilitation stint, he didn't need to take batting practice Wednesday to prove it to Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. Just a conversation. It consisted of about four works: "Are you ready?" and "Yes." Heyward was activated from the disabled list and returned to the Braves lineup for the first time in nearly a month – since May 19 in Anaheim. He said his inflamed right shoulder is much improved after three weeks of rest and just five days of working his way back into the feel of swinging a bat. "I feel pain-free and able to make adjustments when I need to," said Heyward, who went 1-for-6 with a double and a walk in two"
June 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward is expected to rejoin the Braves Wednesday after a two-game minor league rehabilitation stint with Gwinnett and at that point, the Braves will let Heyward decide if he's ready to be activated from the disabled list. This much has already been resolved though, and that's smoothing things over with Braves veteran Chipper Jones. Jones said Tuesday he called Heyward to clarify his comments last week encouraging Heyward to play through his shoulder injury. Jones said he thought his original comments to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution were blown out of proportion by national TV networks who characterized it as "calling out Heyward." "He and I are fine," Jones said of Heyward. "I"
June 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Just three days after taking his first swings in nearly three weeks, Braves right fielder Jason Heyward began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday night. And then doubled in the first inning at Indianapolis. Heyward has been on the disabled list since May 22 for inflammation in the labrum of his right shoulder, and didn't swing a bat at all until hitting balls off a tee Friday. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said that if Heyward has no problems in games with Gwinnett Monday and Tuesday, he could be activated from the DL as soon as Wednesday. After two days of hitting balls off a tee or soft-tossed, Heyward took one day of batting practice Sunday and, to the surprise of many, began a"
June 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward had his second consecutive pain-free day of hitting, and Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez was so encouraged he said the right fielder could be ready to for a minor-league assignment in a few days. He's been on the disabled list since May 22 with shoulder inflammation. Heyward took 70-100 swings each of the past two days, hitting balls off a tee or soft-tossed from coaches at Braves camp in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. "I'm optimistic," Gonzalez said. "He could go out maybe the middle of next week. I'm just guessing, because he hit some off the tee and felt good today after doing that. Swung a little bit more than [Friday] and felt good. If he's ready to go, take some BP and why not"
June 11
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
The Braves got encouraging news Friday when right fielder Jason Heyward hit off a tee and did other "baseball activities" without discomfort in his right shoulder. He's been on the disabled list since since May 22 with inflammation of the labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, and has rehabbed and worked out more than a week at the team's training complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. But Friday was the first time he swung a bat in nearly three weeks. The Braves will wait to see how he feels Saturday before ramping up his rehab schedule. Within a few days he could possibly take batting practice and hit in extended-spring training games in Florida, but the Braves won't bring him back until"
June 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list and play Tuesday, but the Braves' young slugger had not swung a bat in more than two weeks and was still probably a few days from even hitting off a tee. Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said he understands that Heyward wanted his sore shoulder healthy before he plays again, but said the 21-year-old right fielder needs to realize how important he could be to the Braves right now. Heyward recently said that he wouldn't return before his shoulder was completely recovered, that he learned his lesson from trying to play through injury as a rookie in 2010. The quote got a lot of attention, not just from fans and media but other"
June 8
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward was eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list and play Tuesday, but the Braves' young slugger had not swung a bat in more than two weeks and was still probably a few days from even hitting off a tee. Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said he understands that Heyward wanted his sore shoulder healthy before he plays again, but said the 21-year-old right fielder needs to realize how important he could be to the Braves right now. Heyward recently said that he wouldn't return before his shoulder was completely recovered, that he learned his lesson from trying to play through injury as a rookie in 2010. The quote got a lot of attention, not just from fans and media but other"
May 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Big things were expected from the Braves' power-hitting duo of Jason Heyward and newcomer Dan Uggla, the former an All-Star as a rookie in 2010, the latter a two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner last season with the Marlins. Considering how little production the Braves have gotten from the injury-slowed Heyward and underperforming Uggla, it shouldn't be surprising that the team was only four games above .500 (28-24) before Saturday. If anything, the surprise should've been that their record wasn't worse. In 2010, Heyward and Uggla had a combined .282 average with 52 doubles, 49 homers, 177 RBIs, 169 walks and 183 runs. With nearly one-third of the 2011 season completed,"
May 28
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
A second, more advanced MRI on slugger Jason Heyward's right shoulder showed the same thing as the first MRI: no structural damage. "Just normal wear-and-tear of a normal major league shoulder, some inflammation," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. Heyward has been on the 15-day disabled list since Sunday, and Gonzalez said the Braves would wait for rotator-cuff inflammation to }calm down" before he resumes hitting. Gonzalez said Heyward could be ready soon after the 15-day DL period, if he has no setbacks. The right fielder will probably be sent to Orlando for a few extended-spring training games, then play a rehab game or two at Triple-A Gwinnett before he's activated. In"
May 23
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward was placed on the 15-day disabled list for recurring soreness in his right shoulder, the latest in a series of injury setbacks for the Braves' prized right fielder. Injuries are mounting for the Braves, who didn't want to go into the two-day Pittsburgh series that starts Tuesday not knowing if Heyward would be ready. They purchased the contract of outfielder Wilkin Ramirez from Triple-A Gwinnett, creating a 40-man roster spot for Ramirez by moving relief pitcher Peter Moylan from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Moylan had back surgery last week and is expected to be sidelined for about three months. The Braves will likely go with hot-hitting Joe Mather in right, although"
May 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves right fielder Jason Heyward was scratched from the lineup again on Saturday night with recurring soreness in his right shoulder. Manager Fredi Gonzalez was concerned by the recurrence after only three games played by Heyward since he had a cortisone shot, but said he was relieved to hear the report after Heyward was examined again Saturday night. Heyward was checked by renowned orthopedist Lewis Yocum of Los Angeles, who concurred with last week's diagnosis by Atlanta doctors: rotator-cuff inflammation, no structural damage. Heyward played defense in the 12th inning Saturday and is otherwise listed as day-to-day. "We used him for defense, and we'll probably do the same tomorrow,"
May 21
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward arrived at the ballpark expecting to play Friday, but manager Fredi Gonzalez quickly let him know he was on the bench and why. "He just gave me a day off, to rest," said Heyward, who had a wrap on his right shoulder in the clubhouse, with an electric stimulation device he said also delivered medication "somehow, some way" to the area of his rotator-cuff inflammation. "I was expecting to play when I got here. [Gonzalez] was on the field running and just let me know how he wanted to go about it." Heyward said the shoulder felt no worse after playing three games, but he had no problem with being rested. He had a cortisone shot last week and returned to the lineup Tuesday against"
May 17
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Jason Heyward tested his right shoulder in batting practice Monday and came away confident he can return to the lineup Tuesday against the Astros as planned. "Nothing held me back," said Heyward, who had two cortisone shots in his shoulder on Thursday. "It feels a lot better….I felt like the shots have done what they needed to do.""
May 16
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves right fielder Jason Heyward took his first swings Sunday since receiving cortisone injections in his right shoulder and came away thinking he'd be ready to return to the lineup by Tuesday, the last game of a two-game series against the Astros. Heyward originally thought he might be back in the lineup Monday against the Astros, but he wants Monday afternoon to test his shoulder in a full session of batting practice. Heyward took 30-40 swings of a tee Sunday in the Braves indoor batting cages. "It feels a lot better," he said. He's had no problems throwing – the injury is to his non-throwing right shoulder – and entered Saturday's game as a defensive substitution. Heyward said if he"
May 15
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves right fielder Jason Heyward took his first swings Sunday since receiving cortisone injections in his right shoulder and came away thinking he'd be ready to return to the lineup by Tuesday, the last game of a two-game series against the Astros. Heyward originally thought he might be back in the lineup Monday against the Astros, but he wants Monday afternoon to test his shoulder in a full session of batting practice. Heyward took 30-40 swings of a tee Sunday in the Braves indoor batting cages. "It feels a lot better," he said. He's had no problems throwing - the injury is to his non-throwing right shoulder - and entered Saturday's game as a defensive substitution. Heyward said if he"
May 14
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
Braves right fielder Jason Heyward has seen improvement in his sore right shoulder but is unlikely to return to the Braves starting lineup for the remainder of the Phillies series. Heyward was available to pinch run Friday night and could see limited action off the bench before the series is up, but Heyward said anything beyond that on Sunday might be "pushing it." "I'll see how it feels Sunday, but my plan is probably four days," said Heyward, who received two cortisone shots in his shoulder on Thursday afternoon. Four days of rest would put his return Monday in the series-opener against the Astros. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez didn't plan to put Heyward in the lineup again until then."
May 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
An MRI administered Thursday revealed no significant damage in Jason Heyward's right shoulder, just some inflammation in his rotator cuff. Heyward received a cortisone shot Thursday afternoon and is expected to be out of the lineup for another couple of days as the medicine takes effect. "It's not serious," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "... Guys have things that are sore all the time, and they play with them, just like he has, and it hasn't been an issue. And it gets to a point where it's a little bit over that line, and then you start feeling like it's affecting your performance. I think he got to that point this week." Heyward is 2-for-28 with 13 strikeouts in May, lowering"
May 13
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
An MRI taken Thursday revealed no significant damage in Jason Heyward's right shoulder, just some inflammation in his rotator cuff. Heyward received a cortisone shot Thursday afternoon and is expected to miss another couple of days as the medicine takes effect. "It's not serious," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "It's been kind of a nagging thing that sometimes was good and sometimes was a little more of a problem, but overall he's played through it. Now we know what it is and hopefully this knocks it out." Heyward was available to pinch run Thursday night against the Nationals, but that's it. Heyward left Tuesday night's game with numbness in his right hand and forearm, related to"
May 12
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"
While many Braves fans worried about Jason Heyward's sore right shoulder, manager Fredi Gonzalez didn't sound overly concerned Wednesday and hoped to have him back for this weekend's series against Philadelphia. Heyward was replaced in the eighth inning of Tuesday's loss against Washington after complaining of numbness in his right hand, pain he believed had radiated from a sore shoulder that he said has bothered him since spring training. He was out of the lineup Wednesday and had an MRI exam scheduled for Thursday. "I don't know what numbness means, necessarily, but they wouldn't let me leave here last night until they knew I was OK," Heyward said. "It was something new. There was"