Atlanta
Braves

News: Hanson says his right shoulder is feeling good and he expects to be on a regular routine for the start of spring training. Hanson enjoyed a strong first half of the 2011 season. He made only five starts after the All-Star break due to persistent pain in the shoulder. A small tear was found in his right rotator cuff that did not require surgery.
Impact: Hanson resumed throwing last month. He said before working out at Turner Field Thursday his shoulder ``feels really good.'' Hanson won at least 10 games in each of his three seasons. He had 10 wins at the All-Star break last year but won only one more game. Braves pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Feb. 19.

News: Hanson (shoulder) began throwing in early January and doesn't think he'll have any restrictions when spring training begins, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Impact: The early reports have been encouraging, but Hanson carries plenty of risk given his current ADP (92nd overall at Mock Draft Central). The Braves have plenty of depth in the event of an injury, but getting Hanson healthy and having him make 30-plus starts would go a long way in their bid to dethrone the Phillies atop the NL East in 2012.

News: Jones felt a pop in his knee when he stepped in a hole while hunting in November, but an MRI showed no damage, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. He says his knee has felt good in recent workouts.
Impact: Jones says the popping sound was likely due to the breaking up of scar tissue. Still, the health of his knees (as usual) are something to monitor in spring training. Jones also says he feels healthy enough that 2012 may not be his last season, but we'll need to see how he feels after another full year of wear and tear.

News: Heyward did physical therapy to build strength in his injured shoulder twice a week this offseason and feels strong heading into spring training, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. "He's 90 percent back," teammate Chipper Jones said of watching him in recent batting practice.
Impact: Heyward was bothered by a shoulder injury much of last year that he said got him into bad habits and contributed to his disappointing season (he hit just .227 and was benched most of August). However, there was no structural damage to his shoulder. Heyward also says he's been working on his conditioning more this offseason, and his weight is down to 235 pounds from 256 pounds last spring. If he's healthy, Heyward has a high ceiling as he's just 22 years old and posted an .849 OPS as a 20-year old in 2010.