Position battles and more: 3 decisions that will define Dodgers spring training

Los Angeles Dodgers spring training: Jason Heyward looks solid at the plate

When the Dodgers signed the 33-year-old Heyward to a minor league deal early in the offseason, it was seen a low-risk, high-reward move. So far in the spring, the possibility of a reward is looking very good.

Featuring a revised swing, Heyward has slashed .333/.429/.833 through his first 15 plate appearances of the spring, blasting a pair of solo home runs in the process. It will likely be enough to push Heyward onto the active roster and into an Opening Day roster spot.

After struggling so mightily with the Chicago Cubs over the past two seasons, can the change in swing and scenery be enough to make the former All-Star a viable candidate for playing time in Los Angeles? It likely can, and it’s also about the defensive side of the equation for Heyward, who has five Gold Gloves on his resume, as well.

“The other thing that I think is more of a question for Jason is just to have a change of scenery,” manager Dave Roberts said. “They won a championship there in Chicago, and you’ve got this big contract that you always want to live up to so with a change of scenery, I think for him, you can sort of exhale and start anew and that’s good to see.”

And what has Roberts seen from the revised swing early on?

“You saw him when he was struggling the last couple of years on a different swing,” he explained. “The swing is completely different. For me. It’s just a lot more simple. It’s a lot more clean. He’s given himself a lot more room.”

He has also likely given himself a fresh chance on resurrecting his career with it.