Heyward keeps average steady: Atlanta outfielder Jason Heyward went 1 for 4 and drove in a run during the Braves' 2-0 victory over Tampa Bay in an interleague contest on Sunday. Heyward extended his hitting streak to four games with an RBI single in the sixth inning to cap the scoring. He's now hitting .248 this season. (Updated 05/20/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/24/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Heyward's current run marks the fourth time this season he has carried a hitting streak of at least three games. But the 22-year-old has had a difficult stringing together more than one hit in games this month and posted just one multihit outing through 18 games in May to keep his average hovering around the .250 mark. He has been more active on the base paths this year, and is viewed as a viable Fantasy option in most formats. (Updated 05/20/2012).
05/23/2012 23:57 Is the Cubs' Jeff Samardzija a headhunter?
Braves hitting coach Greg Walker said Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija has a bad reputation, at least in the Braves' clubhouse. Samardzija hit White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko in the face on Saturday.
05/23/2012 17:41 Jason Heyward is on the who's not list
Jason Heyward is below the Mendoza Line over the past month. Will his struggles last much longer? The Fantasy Baseball 360 crew weighs in.
05/23/2012 06:45 Dear Mr. Fantasy: Ups and downs of young players
Last year your team was a juggernaut. This year it's sitting in the cellar. What happened? You might even have most of those players back. If you're relying on young talent, our Scott White says prepare to take some lumps in his latest Dear Mr. Fantasy.
05/22/2012 21:50 Phillips HRs twice as Reds beat Braves
Brandon Phillips drove in three runs with a pair of homers off Brandon Beachy on Tuesday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves in another game of all-or-nothing.
05/21/2012 21:58 Reds' Leake earns win, first career HR
Right-hander Mike Leake hit his first career homer - part of three solo shots in a row by the Cincinnati Reds - and allowed only two hits over eight innings Monday night for a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
You don't need some long-winded narrative about his role as the future face of the franchise to recognize how much of a disappointment Jason Heyward was in 2011. Drafted as a top-10 Fantasy outfielder based more on his potential than results, the former No. 1 overall prospect looked out of his element for most of the season. He even lost his job to career minor leaguer Jose Constanza at one point. So how does a 22-year-old go from being so good to so bad so quickly? Well, he wasn't so bad until May, when he began experiencing numbness from a shoulder injury that dated back to spring training. Goaded to play through the pain, he reportedly altered his mechanics, and voila, he's a .227 hitter. Clearly, then, the problem is correctable, and the Braves hired hitting coach Greg Walker in part for that purpose. How quickly Heyward corrects it -- and whether he's able to avoid bad habits with future bumps and bruises (he had similar issues with a thumb injury in 2010, don't forget) -- will ultimately determine his value in 2012. He still has sky-high potential, but given the many obstacles he has to overcome to meet it, you wouldn't want to draft him as more than your third outfielder. (Updated 2/13/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
