Braves

Chipper Jones said Jason Heyward is “90 percent” of the way to getting his swing back.

Heyward has been working on his swing at Turner Field 2-3 times a week since the beginning of January with Jones, hitting coach Greg Walker and assistant hitting coach Scott Fletcher. Jones went into great detail regarding Heyward’s swing, saying, among other things, that “the ball is jumping off the bat now close to what it was in spring training 2010,” and that “when he gets this hinge [wrists] right here, where he gets a little takeway ? a little separation, we call it, between step and hands ? he?ll be all the way back.” Heyward has also dropped over 20 pounds as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2011 campaign.

Jason Heyward currently checks in at 235 pounds, after reporting to spring training last year at 256 pounds.

Heyward put on weight last year in an effort to build on his impressive rookie campaign, but ended up feeling sluggish after coming down with a shoulder injury. “I wasn?t feeling like myself,” said Heyward. “I didn?t feel that I could make my body do what my mind wanted to do. I wanted to make sure I have that feel, that control again.” In addition to making changes to his diet and workout regimen this offseason, he worked on the basics of his swing with personal hitting coach C.J. Stewart. With his shoulder issues seemingly behind him, the 22-year-old outfielder looks like a fine bounceback candidate in 2012.

Jason Heyward attributed part of his struggles last season to his conditioning and inability to stay healthy.

“I knew how I felt,” Heyward said. “I knew what I could and couldn’t do. My swing got altered. I changed my hands to make up for the shoulder by changing my base load approach, and that got me more out of line. I know I have to go to Spring Training in the best shape possible. If I do that, I am healthy and there are no issues, then I can do what I need to do — show up and just play baseball.” After playing in only 128 games last season and seeing his run production dropoff considerably, Heyward looks to be a prime candidate for a breakout in 2012.