Ryan Howard Injury Update: Phillies Slugger Hitting But June Return Unlikely

Via CSNPhilly we learn that Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard gave an update on his injury status on a recent episode of his podcast. The news is good:

"Rehab is going very well. The leg is getting a lot stronger and it's coming along. I've been doing a little bit of running, some light jogging, trying to get back into that. I think the last thing to kind of come will be the running and be able to step it up and turn it into sprints. Things are looking on the up and up. I'm happy with where things are right now."

Howard also indicated he had been hitting in simulated games. The upbeat comments are in contrast to some of the other news coming out of his recovery from surgery on his Achilles tendon from October of last year. Earlier this week Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr indicated a June return for Howard was unlikely.

For updates and news about Ryan Howard's recovery from injury, stick with this storystream from SBNation Philly. For all things Phillies, head over to The Good Phight.