eye on ...

Jason Heyward is hitting .273 since Aug. 17. Doesn't sound like much, but it's an upward trend, which is a good thing where the former Mississippi Braves star is concerned. For the year, Heyward is batting .223 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs. It's been a precipitous fall for the muscular right fielder who made a bid for rookie of the year honors in 2010. Last season, Heyward, assuming the mantle of local hero left vacant by the trade of Jeff Francoeur, batted .277 with 18 homers and 77 RBIs. He also drew 91 walks. He was a force in the lineup. But opposing pitchers seem to have found some holes in Heyward's somewhat unorthodox swing. He's still striking out at about the same rate he did in 2010, but his walks are down significantly (42 in 349 at-bats). He slumped at the end of 2010, which some dismissed as a result of a hand injury. But the struggles continued this spring. (It surely didn't help when he showed up on the cover of Sports Illustrated during spring training.) He became a bench player. Jose Constanza's recent slump — and ankle injury — opened the door for Heyward to get back in the lineup on a regular basis, and he has looked better. His grand slam on Aug. 23 against the Chicago Cubs was one of his brightest moments since he homered on opening day. He's driven in 10 runs since Aug. 17. The Braves, still plagued by a lack of offense, could use some from Heyward. They have a big series starting tonight with St. Louis, which is chasing them in the wild card race.