There are Still Concerns over Jason Heyward’s Thumb

Just yesterday we named Jason Heyward as one of the top things we were looking forward to seeing in the upcoming 2011 season.

Today an article of MLB.com says that there is some concern in regards to his thumb that was injured for a good part of last year.

Based on his own previous experience, former Braves manager Bobby Cox said Jason Heyward might spend an entire career battling the effects of the thumb injury he suffered in May.

It’s far too early to tell if that will be the case. But with the start of Spring Training three weeks away, the 21-year-old Braves outfielder still has not regained the same flexibility he had before he jammed his thumb during a headfirst slide on May 14.

“I don’t have any pain in it, but I still don’t have the full range of motion in it,” Heyward said. “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.”

It makes you wonder. Last year there was some talk that while it was an injury it wouldn’t require surgery. Now there can be speculation that it did need surgery. And for a guy you want to see rolling out at the age of 21–you would rather hear that he’s feeling “as good as he’s ever felt”.

Just don’t become the next link in ‘the curse’, alright J-Hey?