Andrelton Simmons stood with his right leg crossed over his thigh like a ‘4,’ his weight distributed almost entirely on his left ankle as he waited for his turn in Monday’s batting practice rotation. He barely leaned on the bat he held in his hand.
Just before his group’s chance to bat, Simmons had jumped in the air to grab a home run off of a teammate’s bat. It was quite the contrast to his mobility on Aug. 5.
Simmons sprained his left ankle after his foot caught the edge of the third base plate last Tuesday in Seattle. Although the goal for Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez is to have Simmons back in the lineup either Tuesday or Wednesday, Simmons said his ankle felt good enough to get a chance against the Dodgers on Monday.
“I expected to be in there today, but I don’t make the rules,” Simmons said after batting practice.
Although Simmons was to work on catching groundballs and swinging during the batting practice, he said his ankle felt comfortable enough to take the leap. The explosiveness he felt through the jump and his ability to maintain balance coming back down assured him that he’d be good to go soon enough.
“I’m supposed to play eventually so I’ve got to test it out,” Simmons said. “I did some jumping, I did my agilities, I did everything. I just went out there and acted pretty normal.”
“Eventually” for Simmons will likely come in the next day or two, depending on trainer Jeff Porter Gonzalez’s evaluations of Simmons during Monday’s batting practice. Simmons said his lateral movements on groundballs felt good and that his ankle did not bother him through his swings.
“I’m ready to go,” he said. “I’m waiting.”
About the Author
