David O’Brien reports that Jason Heyward is suffering from a strained thumb ligament that, while not requiring surgery, will likely bother Heyward for the rest of the season (i.e. “until Heyward gets extended rest in the offseason).
It’s been apparent for some time that he’s not been right, as he’s been hitting a mere .172/.274/.232 over his past 24 games. The league is figuring him out, but they didn’t figure him out that much that quickly.
The Braves are 14-10 over that stretch, and that’s not too bad, but if he isn’t able to figure out how to play with the pain and become productive again, Atlanta is going to need to go out and get a bat in order to stay competitive in the East.
