Heyward rebounding at bat and afield
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — With a home run and two dazzling catches, Jason Heyward gets full blame for the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees going to extra innings and playing to a 5-5 spring training tie Wednesday.
For the Braves, hoping Heyward can bounce back from a difficult sophomore season, it was all good.
“He gave us a little appetizer,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He did everything. He showed us what he can do.”
Heyward climbed the right-field fence to rob Raul Ibanez of a two-run homer in the third inning. He tied the score in the ninth inning with a two-run, opposite-field homer on a 3-2 pitch from right-hander George Kontos. Then, playing center field, he preserved the tie with a run- ning catch of Gustavo Molina’s two-out blooper with runners at second and third in the 10th.
But as worthy of the highlight reel as Heyward’s defense was, it’s the carryover from his offensive approach at the plate that is likely to most benefit the Braves.
“I’m getting comfortable again,” Heyward said. “I started from scratch (at the plate) this offseason, and I haven’t gotten too frustrated. I’m just having fun.”
Heyward hit .227 with 14 homers and 42 RBI (down from .277-18-72 as a rookie) last season, when a right shoulder injury nagged him, and he lost his timing and confidence.
“He’s been working so hard to get his swing going,” Gonzalez said, “going from the lab — I call the (batting) cages the ‘lab’ — to the field and facing live pitching.
“If you follow him every day and not look at the box score, you see it. You see the aggressiveness that he’s showing at the plate. Now, his good at-bats are bunching up.” Vizquel lands spot:
Backup infielder Omar Vizquel was told Wednesday that he’d made the Toronto Blue Jays. Vizquel found out a month before his 45th birthday, making him the oldest active position player in the big leagues.
The 11-time Gold Glove winner had signed a minor league contract Jan. 23. He spent the previous two years with the Chicago White Sox as a utility man and mentor to younger players.
“We knew what his character was and what kind of guy he was going to be in the clubhouse,” Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous said. “So that obviously came out the way it was expected.”
Vizquel is batting .433 in 15 exhibition games.
Short hops:
Washington Nationals closer Drew Storen will start the season on the disabled list because of trouble in his right elbow. “I know his arm is in pretty good shape right now, but if it’s a slow rehab, hopefully, being cautious, maybe (he’ll be ready) mid-april,” Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. “Maybe I’m being overly hopeful.” ... The Minnesota Twins released right-hander Joel Zumaya on Wednesday. The hard-throwing reliever hurt his elbow during his first bullpen session of spring training. He was scheduled for Tommy John surgery today and will need a year to recover.