It’s been a while since we’ve checked in on Ryan Howard’s rehab from Achilles tendon surgery, mostly because he hasn’t been doing a whole lot. While he ditched his protective boot about a month ago, he has been limited to strength exercises and basic on-field work. However, things could change soon.
Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. told Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com that Howard is scheduled to visit with a specialist Monday. If the doctor is happy with his progress, he could be cleared for more baseball activities. The 32-year-old has yet to hit or run since undergoing a procedure in February to have stitches removed from an infected area of his Achilles.
Howard’s return date is still something of a mystery, but it can’t come soon enough for the power-starved Phillies. Their first baseman have combined to bat just .255/.321/.373 with one homer, seven RBI and a .694 OPS across 51 at-bats so far this season. The Phillies have a .617 OPS and seven homers through 14 games. Only the Cubs (five) have hit fewer home runs.