Braves’ Jason Heyward Taking Dry Swings, Hopes to Provide Boost to Offense

Following a 3-1 loss to the division rival, Washington Nationals, the Braves’ division lead fell to 2.5 games. Atlanta started the season 12-1 with a scary offense and lights out pitching. Since then, the Braves have sputtered, posting just a 5-10 record. Jason Heyward, who started the season slowly with a .121 average in his first 58 at bats, including 12 strikeouts.

Now out with an appendectomy, Heyward has started taking dry swings, hoping to return to the field by the end of May healthy and productive.

Atlanta will be happy to see him if that happens.

The Braves scored 16 runs in its first two games and 68 total in its first 13 games. Since then, Atlanta has provided just 46 runs in the 15 games since. The offense has started to slump, hitting less home runs and starting to let a team epidemic of strikeouts play a key role.

For Heyward, it’s two days ahead of schedule as far as when he was planning to return to baseball activities. After weeks of treadmill work and stationary bike action, Heyward will move on to dry swings and eventually a rehab assignment. Upon his return, the Braves are likely to place Heyward back in right field and bench Jordan Schafer, though it may be more beneficial to platoon Schafer with BJ Upton, since Upton has started off horribly during his tenture in Atlanta.

While the Braves have yet to announce a timetable for Heyward’s return, or included any sort of specific return date, the outfielder is setting his own expectations. Heyward said he would be disappointed if he was out even as long as late May and hopes to return beforehand.