K. Morales working his way back into shape

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http://www.ocregister.com/sports/bourjo ... eason.html

There is at least one eyewitness account that indicates Kendrys Morales' comeback attempt is going well.
"I've been hitting with him every day (at the Angels' minor-league complex in Tempe, Ariz.) and he looks strong," Angels centerfielder Peter Bourjos said Wednesday. "Monday was the first time he took live BP (with a coach throwing) and he was popping them out from both sides.

"It's very impressive."

That, in itself, represents progress beyond what Morales was able to do during his aborted comeback attempt last spring. The switch-hitter was limited to swinging only from the left side when he was allowed to hit during spring training out of concern that planting his surgically-repaired left ankle while batting right-handed would put too much torque on the vulnerable joint.

Bourjos also said Morales appears to be lighter and in better shape than last spring.

one can only hope, first time all off season i've gotten my hopes up for this guy.

[TyCobb]

The Angels will have a pretty formidable lineup if he comes close to his pre-injury production level.

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http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow ... 1424.story

Kendrys Morales has been crushing the ball during batting practice, which is nothing new. The Angels slugger sent balls far over the walls of fields all over the Tempe Diablo Stadium complex last spring before undergoing a second surgery on his broken left ankle and missing the entire season.

A more important development for the switch-hitter, who has been sidelined for a year and a half, took place Monday when he ran six 90-foot sprints at between 50% and 75% and felt no pain in the ankle.

If Morales can regain something close to his 2009 form, when he hit .306 with 34 homers and 108 runs batted in, he would combine with Albert Pujols to give the Angels a lethal middle-of-the-order punch.

"There is absolutely nothing in the ankle right now that looks like it would inhibit him from getting to where he needs to be," Scioscia said Tuesday. "When he's running pain-free, all-out, without any restrictions, he's going to play."

It will probably be a slow progression to that point, and the Angels won't rush him, but they like what they're seeing and how Morales is feeling.

"The progression will be getting him out of his comfort zone since the injury," Scioscia said. "After the injury, there's a comfort level I think you have to break through. We expect him to keep progressing. He feels no pain, but you want to get his gait as normal as possible before you push him in other areas."

this pleases me.

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http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd ... um=twitter

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Kendrys Morales cleared the last major hurdle of his rehab on Sunday morning: Running the bases with actual bases in place.

It's all about repetition now. And if Morales can run the bases for a couple more days without any major next-day aches, the recovering slugger will start playing in Spring Training games by the middle of this coming week.

"I think his gait is much better," said Scioscia, who watched Morales' session on video. "It's going to be a matter of trying to get his legs just used to running, which is different in spikes on dirt as it is on treadmill, or cuts and stuff like that. There will be some stiffness he needs to work out, but if he repeats this a couple times, hopefully he's going to be far enough along to be ready to play in a game." ...

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http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/a ... a&c_id=ana

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Kendrys Morales' journey towards once again being a premier slugger is really only just beginning. He still needs to adjust to Major League pitching, still needs to test his now-healthy left ankle through the rigors of a season and still needs to see how his body holds up while playing every day.

The most important thing is that now -- finally -- that journey has truly begun.

On Thursday afternoon, nearly 22 months since a home-run celebration turned into a freak injury, Morales made his return to the Angels' starting lineup, batting sixth while serving as the designated hitter against a split-squad Royals team at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

The most positive sign wasn't that he singled twice in three plate appearances. Or even that he successfully motored around the infield and safely slid into third base.

It's that he was there, on the field in a big league game and playing with his teammates once again.

Finally.

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8 for 13 this spring, he's back