Jones focused on 2012 season: USA Today reports Braves 3B Chipper Jones had an MRI on his right knee in November after he fell into a hole while hunting in Kansas. "I heard something pop in my knee," Jones said. "I was pretty scared." Luckily, the test results were negative and Jones said the pop was scar tissue. "I could read the headlines right now," Jones said with a laugh. After the hunting incident, Jones said he stayed off his feet for six weeks to rest his balky knee. He started hitting in January and feels primed for a good season. Jones is in the last year of his contract, but he has a vesting option for 2013. He added he isn't thinking about retirement. "I sit here with three weeks to go before spring training and I'm not ready to say this is it," he said. (Updated 01/31/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
After two straight years of declining numbers, Jones took a slight step forward last year, hitting 18 homers with an .814 OPS. He still missed a period of time with the knee injury, though, and at age 39, is a long shot to play even 130 games. He's productive enough to matter in mixed leagues when he's healthy, but he's not a high-end contributor at this stage of his career. Consider him no more than a late-rounder on Draft Day. (Updated 01/31/2012).
02/02/2012 06:55 2012 Fantasy outlooks: Atlanta Braves
Last season was especially painful for the Braves -- really just the final month. But Atlanta brings back a stable of Fantasy heavy-hitters and our Scott White says now all they need is a bit of better luck in his team outlook.
Just when Chipper Jones had seemingly reached the end of the line at age 39, he bounced back in a way only 39-year-olds can: between knee surgeries and part-time at-bats. Jones tore his left ACL in August 2010, ending a season of marginal production with major surgery, and wasn't even sure he'd be ready for the start of 2011. But from the time he doubled in his first at-bat on opening day, a comeback season was a foregone conclusion. He still dealt with the usual bumps and bruises that have plagued him for the latter half of his career, even shutting down for two weeks in July to have arthroscopic knee surgery. But by collecting more than 450 at-bats and producing his highest slugging percentage in three years, he showed he still has something to contribute in Fantasy. And considering the way he finished the season, batting .303 with 10 homers in 165 at-bats after the procedure, that's likely to be the case again in 2012. Jones is nothing more than a late-round pick in Fantasy -- if you think he's going to play more than four or five days per week, you're dreaming -- but he's still productive enough at a weak position to deserve a reserve spot in Fantasy. (Updated 2/9/12)