Sports

Atlanta Braves' Jason Heyward To Play in Gwinnett

The outfielder will begin a rehab stint Thursday morning at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville.

Goodbye Brian McCann, hello Jason Heyward.

The Gwinnett Braves announced Heyward, a starting outfielder for several years with the Atlanta Braves, will begin an injury rehab stint at Coolray Field beginning Thursday (May 9).

Heyward, 23, underwent an appendectomy in April and was placed on Atlanta's disabled list. He is hitting .121 (7-for-58) in 2013. For his career, he is hitting .256 with 61 home runs.

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He is expected to be the designated hitter and bat second in Thursday's morning game (10:35 a.m.) vs. Pawtucket.

Heyward also is expected to travel to Scranton (Pa.) with the G-Braves for a weekend series, and then be re-evaluated, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Find out what's happening in Lawrencevillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The G-Braves need a spark, for sure. The team (12-22) has lost 11 straight after Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Pawtucket.

It's Heyward's second rehab stint with Gwinnett, and he is the fifth Atlanta player to prepare for a major-league return this season (after McCann, Paul Janish, Luis Ayala, and Freddie Freeman).

-- Have you seen a G-Braves game in 2013? Share your experiences in the comments below.


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