The Arizona Diamondbacks are off to a solid start in 2012, although injuries have held them back from reaching their peak. Guys like Chris Young and Justin Upton are currently missing time due to various issues, but shortstop Stephen Drew has still not made his season debut due to an ankle injury.
Fortunately for D-backs fans, Drew continues to improve and is nearing a return.
"It's feeling better; we'll see. The past five days have been good," Drew said before Friday's game, "Do I feel it? Yeah, but the pain is starting to go down. The stiffness is still there, but I noticed about two weeks ago while getting out of bed it took me 15 minutes to warm my foot up, now it's 3-5 minutes and it feels normal. That's a good thing."
Given their recent offensive struggles, you can bet manager Kirk Gibson is itching to pencil Drew back into his lineup card. Given that he began running lightly and doing some drills at half-speed, a possible return by June is not out of the question. Drew will likely need at least a week or so in a Minor League rehab stint before returning to the diamond.
For more on the D-backs and Drew, head over to AZ Snake Pit.