Chipper Jones(notes) said that if teammate Jason Heyward(notes) can muster “80 percent” of his own capabilities while playing with an injured right shoulder, then he should be on the field — because the Atlanta Braves need him there.

Jones is 39 years old, with 17 years of major league experience, 441 home runs and 10 trips to the disabled list (so far) on his Cooperstown résumé. Heyward is 21, coming off a spectacular rookie season — but one in which he played through several nagging injuries.

So, it’s easy to see why Jones thinks he can offer guidance.

Though he was eligible to come off the DL on Tuesday, Heyward reportedly has not swung a bat in more than two weeks and isn’t ready to hit from a tee yet. Heyward has said he doesn’t want to try to play until the pain is gone.

But that’s not good enough for Jones, whose comments as reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution go to show that you don’t have to be in high school in order to get pressure from your peers:

“I think where Jason might have erred was the comment that he made, ‘I’m not coming back until it doesn’t hurt anymore.’ That has a tendency to rub people the wrong way,” Jones said.

“What Jason needs to realize is that Jason at 80 percent is a force, and Jason at 80 percent is better than a lot of people in this league. And that there are a bunch of his teammates that are out there playing with discomfort and not healthy, and still going at it.”

Holy cow, Chipper’s going to hurt Heyward’s other shoulder if he twists his left arm anymore. Or make him fall on his face and break his nose because of the guilt trip. As a respected team leader, Chipper’s voice will be heard inside Atlanta’s clubhouse on any topic he so chooses.

Hopefully, Heyward ignores him this time.

Jones wants to appear as trying to influence Heyward by having him put team before self. But it comes off as disingenuous: Chipper knows his days are numbered (he’s been talking about retiring for a while) and his chance to win another World Series might come down to, well, this year or never more.

Heyward has many more summers to go. And he knows it.

“I thought I could play with it some; I had some stretches this year where I was where I thought I should be,” he said. “But the wear and tear of every day and how hard I play, and swinging the bat every day, made it worse gradually. It’s a little frustrating, but while I still have time — this is only year two of my career — so I most definitely need to take care of it.”

Heyward’s first duty is to himself. But even looking at it from the team point of view, what Chipper wants Heyward to do is reckless. Heyward was batting .214/.317/.407 in 161 plate appearances, and went 4 for 41 with one extra-base hit in May, before being shut down. At best, those stats are 80 percent of the worst guy on the a major league bench. That’s not what Jason Heyward can do. That’s not what the Braves want.

And where does Chipper get that Heyward is at “80 percent,” anyway? That’s how you pull muscles, by yanking stuff out of your keister. By using Chipper’s logic, and health history, can we trust that he knows how to manage even his own injuries? How much you want to bet that Chipper trying to play through injuries of his own made them worse? He probably cost his team with ineffective at-bats, and with bad defense, because he was too proud to say he was hurt and shut it down.

While they’re hanging near the top of the NL East, the Braves came into Wednesday ranking 24th in runs scored in the majors, and 21st in OPS. They do need Heyward’s bat, but not the one he was swinging before he went on the disabled list in late May.

Chipper Jones has loads of experience but, in this case, lacks wisdom.

Big BLS H/T: Evan Brunell at CBS Eye on Baseball and Jeff Sullivan at SB Nation.

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Related: Jason Heyward, Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, injuries

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — Prince Fielder says he decided to be stubborn this spring and changed his attitude for the better. He’d stop looking at his early season numbers, which have always been ugly, and has no plans to brood over his stat line.

The Brewers big slugger broke out for the first time this year against the Braves.

Fielder had three hits, drove in his first three runs this season and scored two more to lead the Milwaukee Brewers over Atlanta 5-4 on Wednesday night.

“I’ve been feeling good the whole time. Unfortunately in baseball, it doesn’t matter if you feel great or not. You can feel terrible and still get hits. That’s just how it is,” Fielder said. “(I’m) not letting results dictate how I’m going to approach it. Results aren’t in my control, but I can control my approach and control my attitude.”

Fielder was hitless in 11 at-bats when he singled in two runs with the bases loaded in the first against Mike Minor by going the opposite way.

“It was nice to see him get those RBIs today. He’s going the other way, that’s nice to see,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “There’s a time to go the other way and that was the ideal time to do it.”

Fielder scored in the fourth on Yuniesky Betancourt’s double, hit an RBI single off Minor (0-1) in the fifth and scored later that inning on a close play at the plate to give Milwaukee a 5-1 lead.

Marco Estrada (1-0) earned his first major league victory even though he acknowledged he was nervous from the start. He was called up from the minors earlier in the day to fill in while Zack Greinke is on the disabled list.

Estrada allowed a three-run homer to Jason Heyward in the sixth, but John Axford and the bullpen protected the one-run lead.

“It feels good. I wish I hadn’t thrown that ball down the middle to Heyward, but other than that, it feels great and we won,” said Estrada, who retired 11 of 12 at one point. “That’s what matters.”

Milwaukee’s bullpen had allowed nine runs in 13 innings this season, but the group of Zach Braddock, Kameron Loe and Axford looked much stronger this night with three hitless innings.

Axford walked Heyward to start the ninth, but picked up his first save after failing to convert his first opportunity in an opening day loss to the Reds. Axford struck out Alex Gonzalez, got Matt Young to ground out and retired Eric Hinske on a flyball to give Milwaukee two straight wins after an 0-4 start.

“I was getting a little anxious out there, waiting for that opportunity to get off on a good foot this year,” Axford said. “It was a slow start for us. We had to get the ball rolling … these two games have been fantastic.”

Martin Prado led off the game with a double, giving the Braves their first base runner in scoring position in the series, and came home off Chipper Jones’ double with one out. But Atlanta failed to tack on any more runs when Brian McCann singled and Jones was thrown out easily at the plate by center fielder Carlos Gomez.

“Chipper had a good jump but he made a hell of a throw. He really did,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “You have to have people make plays and he did at that particular time.”

Fielder answered in Milwaukee’s first at-bat. Minor walked the bases loaded to start the game and Fielder punched a single through the left side to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.

In his next at-bat in the third, Fielder singled, reached second on a groundout by Casey McGehee and scored on Betancourt’s double. In the fifth, he drove in Rickie Weeks with a one-out single that chased Minor, setting up consecutive close plays at the plate.

First, Gomez was thrown out on McGehee’s grounder. It was unclear on replays if McCann’s tag touched Gomez’s back as he tried to run over the catcher.

Then, pinch-hitter Mark Kotsay singled and Fielder came home. McCann caught Heyward’s throw from right field in plenty of time, but Fielder slid in to make it 5-1.

“He’s fun to watch play,” Roenicke said of Fielder. “He does so many things that a manager likes from players. He’s fun for me.”

Estrada started the sixth by allowing consecutive singles. Heyward homered to right field, cutting Milwaukee’s lead to 5-4, but Milwaukee’s bullpen held on for the first time this season.

“We gave ourselves a chance,” Heyward said. “It’s all we can do. Had a couple of close calls at home plate tonight. One went our way, one didn’t. That’s the way it happens.”

NOTES: Brewers RHP Takashi Saito (left hamstring) was unavailable. … Kotsay snapped an 0 for 26 streak against left-handers with a single in the eighth. … Wednesday night was the 10th anniversary of Miller Park’s opening. … Braves RHP Jair Jurrjens (oblique) threw four innings in a simulated game. He’s expected to start April 16 against the Mets. … The Brewers will send three players to rehab assignments this week. C Jonathan Lucroy (broken right pinkie) will begin on Thursday at Double-A Huntsville, RHP LaTroy Hawkins (shoulder) will head to Single-A Brevard County and LHP Manny Parra (back) will pitch for Single-A Wisconsin on Saturday.

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It’s a Brave New World on Peachtree Street this spring, with Bobby Cox no longer in the dugout. It’s amazing that Cox and the Braves won just one World Series despite 17 playoff appearances over the years, but it’s a mistake to dwell on that. The Cox Era should be your fantasy model; put yourself in position to win every year, then hope for a break or two in crunch time.

Fredi Gonzalez is the new man in charge, and it’s a natural baton pass – he worked under Cox and had a mentor-student relationship with him. The Braves feel confident that Gonzalez is the man for the long haul, and I’m expecting the team to remain one of the top clubs in the NL for the balance of the decade. There’s a wonderful mix of young and established talent on this roster.

I know, you’re just here for the numbers. Let’s dig into it.

With Billy Wagner(notes) retired, who takes control of the ninth inning?

Craig Kimbrel(notes) and Jonny Venters(notes) are the two primary candidates, and this is one of the position battles you should be monitoring most closely this spring. Both pitchers have power arms, but that’s where the similarities end.

Kimbrel is just a pup, 22 years old, and he’s a strikeout ace. The right-hander piled up 40 punchouts in just 20.2 innings as a rookie last year, allowing just one earned run. But too often Kimbrel doesn’t have command of his stuff – he walked 16 men in that stint – and that’s the sort of thing that gets you pushed out of the ninth.

Venters snuck up on the Braves last year, a 25-year-old lefty with an ordinary minor-league profile. His strikeout numbers exploded out of nowhere when he finally got the call to Atlanta (10.08/9) and he carried a handsome ground-ball bias as well (68.4 percent). Venters at times had trouble finding the zone against right-handed batters – his WHIP was .22 higher in those instances – but everyone in the league had trouble hitting him. His power sinker should translate well to the ninth if that’s how Gonzalez wants to play it.

Neither player is getting much love in the early mocks, but ignore that for now. It’s the uncertainty talking. If Gonzalez endorses anyone in his bullpen as the save-grabber, they should immediately be one of the Top 15-20 relievers on your board. Atlanta looks like one of the best teams in the National League again, and Gonzalez will steer the stat to one man if someone proves worthy of that designation.

Peter Moylan(notes), Scott Linebrink(notes) and George Sherrill(notes) are also around if you want to go the “dollar and a dream” route in NL-only leagues, but the kids will probably have to make a mess of things before one of the vets gets the call. In a mixer, these are names to know, not names to click on just yet.

Is there any downside to Jason Heyward(notes), Year 2?

There’s only one concern that I can see – Heyward’s thumb issue. He injured his left thumb in May of his rookie season and he still doesn’t have all the flexibility back. “I don’t have any pain in it, but I still don’t have the full range of motion in it,” Heyward told MLB.com last week. “I still can’t bend it anywhere close to where it was before. I don’t know if I ever will be able to do that. But I know it’s not holding me back from hitting.”

If Heyward wasn’t physically right in the second half of his rookie year, it sure didn’t show in his stats. He pushed his average up 51 points after the break, while improving his batting eye and keeping his slugging percentage in the same area. His post-break power showed up more in extra-base hits (16 doubles, two triples) then it did in home runs (seven), but there’s no reason to fret here. Eventually he’ll be a very safe bet for 30-40 taters a year. There’s nothing to debate on Heyward’s pedigree.

Kid Heyward is trading as a fourth or fifth-round pick in the make-believe mock season; he’s currently got a 51.20 tag next to his name. I’ll sign off on him as worth the plunge in the fifth, but given the depth of the overall outfield pool, I would probably pass on him in the fourth. He needs to improve significantly to justify the tag we’re putting on him, and we’d like to see him cut down on his strikeouts and get more experience on the bases (11-for-17 last year). You probably know my stance on buzzy young players by now; I’d prefer to let someone else chase the trend and price in the expected improvement. But I welcome your pro-Heyward propaganda in the comments.

How many at-bats can we expect from Chipper Jones(notes)?

I’ll set the over-under at 365; you can place your make-believe bets below. Jones has missed a significant chunk of time in six of his last seven seasons, bottoming out with last year’s 95-game campaign. He’s currently dealing with tendinitis in his surgically-repaired left knee, and his feet have been chronic problems for years. Chipper’s sweet swing is still a delight to behold and he’s already earned a Hall of Fame trip in my book, but you’re not getting anything close to a full-time player here.

Jones is a concern from the efficiency side of things as well. He’s batted .264 and .265 the last two years, and he only clubbed 10 homers last summer. In a standard mixer, I’m not going near him until we’re in the final quarter of the proceedings. He’s currently trading at 231.08 in the early-mock season, the No. 200 player off the board. I don’t see the upside.

Can Nate McLouth(notes) come back from the dead?

I like him as a late-round mixer selection, maybe someone you can even get in the final round. McLouth’s swing mechanics were a mess last spring and he never got things right – eventually the team demoted him to the minors – but we saw some reasons for optimism during a 19-game September run (.275, three homers, three steals, .894 OPS). McLouth will probably be a mild drag to your batting average, but he’s got 20-20 potential and the Braves are giving him the shot to win the center field job. Cox didn’t seem to be the biggest McLouth fan out there; perhaps a fresh start with a new manager will do the veteran some good. So long as you have an easy U-turn out of a McLouth selection, I’ll sign off on this gambit.

Hey, you didn’t talk about my favorite player. What gives?

Maybe I can make it up to you on the way out; have a handful of crackerjacks and let’s look at quick-hitters. … Tommy Hanson’s(notes) strikeout rate fell late in 2010 and his walk numbers crept up a speck, but it’s hard to quibble with 173 strikeouts, a 3.33 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in his first full season. Perhaps his 10-11 record will lead to a bargain price in some less-sophisticated leagues; if his current ADP holds (79.45), he’s a steal. … Tim Hudson’s(notes) bounce-back season probably didn’t get enough pub, but he was also the beneficiary of a friendly hit rate (.253) and his strikeout numbers were underwhelming. Shockingly, he’s not even the Top Hudson off the board in the early mockery; the drafters prefer Daniel (126) to Tim (147) at this moment. I’d have no problem taking Atlanta’s Hudson in a league that isn’t innings capped; sinkerballers generally look better with the front-door ERA than they do with the peripheral-suggested one. … Like Heyward, Freddie Freeman(notes) is on the fast track – the 21-year-old slugger will get every chance to win the first-base gig in March. Freeman has the eye of a veteran and the pedigree of a future star, but the power might not come right away; if he sticks in Atlanta, look at an Ike Davis(notes) type of debut. … It would be a mistake to chase Dan Uggla’s(notes) .287 average from last year – a .330 BABIP had a lot to do with that – but his power numbers have been remarkable consistent for his entire career. Put him down for something in the .260s along with elite stats in three other categories (runs, homers, RBIs). He’s the type of player you almost never lose money on. … Is Henry Aaron the most underrated superstar of All-Time? Why weren’t songs and fables written about this guy? Everyone knows about the 755 home runs, but Aaron also hit for average and ran very well, and you never got a bad season out of him until he was past the age of 40. Take a good look at his career numbers and appreciate how amazing he truly was.

——-

Bad Henry image courtesy Associated Press 

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