The 21-year-old Heyward has said he did not want to return until he's completely healthy. Jones, 39, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the second-year slugger needs to realize how important he is to the Braves, even if he isn't 100 percent.

"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 told the newspaper. "And we understand where he's coming from -- he wants to be healthy when he plays, so he can go out and give himself the best opportunity to be successful. I get that.

"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."