LOS ANGELES – Jason Heyward's sore back kept him out of the the Braves lineup for a second consecutive game Wednesday, and manager Fredi Gonzalez said he would probably give the right fielder one more day once Heyward says the back feels ready.
If that’s the case then the earliest Heyward would return to the lineup would be for the series opener at San Diego on Friday. Jordan Schafer started in right field Wednesday for the first time all season, after Ryan Doumit filled in Tuesday for Heyward.
“We talked about it today and he’s still not feeling well,” Gonzalez said of Heyward. “If he comes in tomorrow and he’s not feeling well, I’m not doing it, I’m not running him in there.”
Gonzalez said Heyward was feeling a little better after two days of treatment at Dodger Stadium, and that the 15-day disabled list had not been discussed nor did he think it would be, since the injury wasn’t expected to keep him of the lineup much longer.
But when asked whether the injury had lingered long enough that he would likely have Heyward take an extra day to rest before returning once the back felt good, Gonzalez said, “I think so. (Tuesday) he didn’t do anything. We talked and it was strictly (play only in case of) emergency — if we lose two guys in the outfield, he could play. But other than that I’m going to try to lay off of him and let that thing calm down a little bit.”
Heyward initially strained his back Thursday while pursuing a foul ball, but finished that game and played Friday and Saturday.
He sat out Sunday’s game – the Braves said at the time that it was just a scheduled day off – and came out of Monday’s game after one at-bat when the back wouldn’t loosen up. Heyward was out of the lineup for each of the first two games of the three-game series at Dodger Stadium that ends Thursday.
After getting only one at-bat in a four-game stretch, it probably wouldn’t be a wise move to have Heyward play Thursday anyway: The Braves face left-hander Clayton Kershaw, winner of two of the past three National League Cy Young awards, in the series finale against the Dodgers.
Heyward’s .152 average against lefties (15-for-99) is the lowest among National League qualifiers.
