Jason Heyward Activated From DL, Batting Seventh

Turns out June 15 isn't only Jason Heyward Bobblehead Day for Braves fans. It's also Jason Heyward Is Back In The Lineup Day as well, as the young outfielder has been activated from the disabled list. Carroll Rogers:

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.

Heyward had been on the DL with shoulder inflammation that limited his ability to swing without pain. He tried to play through it, and then he stopped trying to play through it, hoping that rest would allow him to heal. Given that he's back now, and given that he'd previously said he wouldn't return until he felt healthy, one can only assume that he feels healthy.

Heyward batted 1-for-6 over an abbreviated minor league rehab stint. He returns to a .724 OPS with the Braves on which he's sure to improve.

On Wednesday, he'll bat seventh and play right, beside Jordan Schafer and Joe Mather. To make roster room, the Braves optioned Matt Young back to triple-A.

Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward has been on the disabled list since May 22, and he vowed that he wouldn't come back until he was 100%. So with Heyward just hitting off of a tee three days ago, it's a little surprising that he's going to start a rehab assignment Monday night with a bunch of people his own age with the Gwinnett Braves.

Actually, scratch that. He's still young for his league.

If it's a coincidence that Heyward's rehab assignment seems rushed after Chipper Jones's comments, it's quite a coincidence. Jones said that the Braves needed Heyward, and that Heyward at 80% is better than Matt Young at 100% for the next couple of weeks followed by Heyward at 100%. The new math! And with Young hitting .190/.261/.190 in 42 at-bats, Chipper might be right.

That doesn't mean that it's a good idea for the Braves' young superstar to play through pain, but after watching a few Eric Hinske/Jordan Schafer/Young outfields, you'd probably say something like that too.

Jason Heyward has been battling discomfort in his right shoulder since spring training. He's played through it, but it started feeling worse more than a week ago, prompting the Braves to send Heyward for an MRI, which showed inflammation but no structural damage. It was hoped that rest and a cortisone shot would get Heyward feeling better, but he aggravated the injury during Friday batting practice, and so on Sunday the Braves placed Heyward on the disabled list.

There's no timetable for Heyward, who's just 4-for-41 in May, and hasn't hit a home run since April 29. He said that the shoulder discomfort got bad enough that it hurt to swing the bat.

Replacing Heyward on the roster is outfielder Wilkin Ramirez, who has posted an .806 OPS with AAA Gwinnett. Much of the available playing time in right field, though, is expected to go to Joe Mather, who is off to a torrid start in his first season with Atlanta.

Good news from the Atlanta Braves about Jason Heyward’s sore shoulder:

Heyward’s MRI revealed no significant damage. There is inflammation in his right shoulder. He’s available tonight on limited basis.

So there’s no significant damage, which is good. And he’s available (if limited), which is good. But what’s left hanging is how good he’ll actually play, when he plays. Heyward’s just 2-for-28 in May, and the current thinking is apparently that all he needs is a little rest (and perhaps some tasty cortisone) instead of a stint on the Disabled List.

We’ll see. This is the third straight season in which Heyward has been severely limited by injuries, for at least a short spell, and if there’s one thing we know about chronically injured players, it’s that they tend to remain chronically injured. On a less overarching note, the Braves probably need a productive Heyward if they’re going to win 90 games this season.