Jason Heyward Injury: Updates on Braves Star's Appendectomy

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward underwent successful appendectomy surgery on Monday, April 22, the team announced on Twitter:

UPDATE: Friday, May 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET by Kyle Vassalo

According to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, Heyward has been activated from the DL:

Bowman also tweeted out the Braves' starting lineup:

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UPDATE: Wednesday, May 8 at 12:55 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland

Jason Heyward is set to begin a rehab stint in Triple-A on Thursday, according to a report from Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

Per that report: 

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Heyward was scheduled to fly back to Atlanta after Wednesday’s game and join Triple-A Gwinnett where he will play Thursday vs. Pawtucket in a 10:35 a.m. game. Heyward will then travel with Gwinnett to Scranton for a weekend series against the Yankees affiliate and then be re-evaluated after the weekend.

"

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UPDATE: Tuesday, April 23, at 1 p.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland

Well, it appears that the Braves sweet-swinging slugger Jason Heyward is going to be out a bit longer than fans would have liked thanks to his appendectomy. David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the team has placed the talented youngster on the DL, and expect him to be out for two weeks. 

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Bill Shanks of the Macon Telegraph added:

Though it's unclear when Heyward will be able to return following his procedure, he will likely miss at least a handful of games. The last two major leaguers to have their appendix removed—Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals and Adam Dunn of the Chicago White Sox—took nine days and six days, respectively, to return to action. 

The 23-year-old, who made the All-Star team in his rookie campaign in 2010, had a down season in 2011 before rebounding last year, batting .269 with 27 home runs, 82 RBI, 93 runs and 21 stolen bases. Heyward has gotten off to a sluggish start in 2013, though, batting .121 in 17 games (58 at-bats) in the No. 2 spot in the lineup.

Despite Heyward's struggles, the Braves have still been able to go 13-5 this season. Players like Justin Upton, Chris Johnson, Evan Gattis and Juan Francisco have stepped up at the plate, while the team's pitching staff boasts the top ERA in the league (2.36).

That said, Atlanta would certainly like to see Heyward's bat come to life. The Braves lost three of four games against the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, scoring a combined three runs in those losses. 

Though Heyward could have benefited from the thin air of Colorado in the Braves' current series against the Rockies, a return next week against the Washington Nationals is more realistic.