Braves right fielder Jason Heyward has seen improvement in his sore right shoulder, but is unlikely to return to the Braves’ starting lineup for the rest of the Phillies series.
Heyward was available to pinch run Friday night and could see limited action off the bench before the series is up.
“I’ll see how it feels Sunday, but my plan is probably four days,” said Heyward, who received two cortisone shots in his shoulder Thursday afternoon.
Four days of rest would put his return Monday in the series opener against the Astros. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez didn’t plan to put Heyward in the lineup again until then.
Joe Mather replaced Heyward in right field Friday against Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels, having gone 3-for-6 against him. Gonzalez said Eric Hinske would start Saturday and Sunday against Phillies’ scheduled right-handers Joe Blanton and Roy Halladay. Hinske is 14-for-40 (.350) with three home runs and 10 RBIs against right-handers this season.
Heyward has felt shoulder pain on and off since spring training, but has seen it worsen this month. He’s hitting 2-for-28 with 13 strikeouts in May. An MRI on Thursday showed no significant damage, just some inflammation in his rotator cuff.
“[Doctors] said three, four days, don’t come back until you’re ready,” Heyward said. “Thank God no DL, no tears. [But Sunday] is pushing it a little bit. You’re taking time to get it fixed.”
Howard’s homers
Ryan Howard has hit more homers against the Braves than any team, and he added to that with a first-inning homer Friday night — a three-run shot off Brandon Beachy.
Howard had a .313 career average with 35 homers and 100 RBIs in 108 games against the Braves before Friday’s series opener, with a .395 on-base percentage and .644 slugging percentage.
“He’s a game-changer,” said Gonzalez, the Braves’ first-year manager who had to make the Howard decision — pitch to him? — during 3 1/2 seasons managing the Marlins. “It all depends on who you have on the mound, who’s your pitcher.
“I’ve done both. I’ve done where you just put him on base, and the other guys beats you. And I’ve pitched to him and he’s beat us. I think it’s the guy who’s on the mound [that determines] how you approach him.”
Jurrjens tries new grip
In his second game back from an oblique injury, Jair Jurrjens added a new twist to his sinker — a Jonny Venters-style grip.
Venters has earned the admiration of the rest of the Braves pitching staff for his 94-95 mph sinker from the left-hand side, which baffles hitters.
Jurrjens felt like his fastball was flattening out, so he asked Venters about his grip in batting practice one day. Venters holds the two-seam fastball with his index and middle finger between the two seams. Jurrjens held his two fingers split in a more traditional position on the seams.
Jurrjens said he tried the new grip in some bullpens, then debuted it against the Dodgers in L.A. He gave up one run in six innings and has been using it since. “It’s sinking more, going down,” Jurrjens said. “The other one was running.”
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