Braves outfielder Jason Heyward wore a protective guard on his helmet after returning from a broken jaw last season and Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that he’ll continue to wear it in 2014.
Heyward broke his right jaw when he was hit in the face by a pitch by Mets’ left-hander Jon Niese last August 21 and required surgery to have two plates inserted. While it was initially feared that he would miss the rest of the season, he managed to make it back within a month and was active for the Braves’ NLDS loss to the Dodgers.
Heyward, 24, hit .254/.349/.427 with 14 home runs and 38 RBI in 104 games last season. He’s expected to be the regular leadoff hitter for the Braves this year.