It's not exactly an indication of when he'll return, but it was a good sign this morning that Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was spotted without his walking boot, as mentioned via Twitter by Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ryan Howard appeared without a walking boot this morning.
— Bob Brookover (@brookob) March 22, 2012
Howard remains on the mend from an Achilles' injury suffered on the final out of the Phillies' 2011 season, when he grounded out in Game Five of the National League Division Series.
With Howard expected to be out until at least early June, the Phillies face the prospect of starting the season without the right side of their infield, as second baseman Chase Utley recently visited with a specialist to examine his right knee.
For more Phillies coverage, visit our blog The Good Phight, or stayed tuned to our StoryStreams on Spring Training updates and Ryan Howard's Injury Status.