Rangers catcher Mike Napoli has taken a big step forward in his ongoing recovery from the high ankle sprain that he suffered in World Series Game 6.
According to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com, the 30-year-old slugger caught three innings Thursday in an instrasquad game and “felt good.”
Napoli had been limited to drills and light jogging since arriving in Rangers camp due to lingering pain in his left ankle. But he seems to be moving rapidly past that discomfort, and is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the regular season.
Napoli batted .320/.414/.631 with 30 home runs and 75 RBI in 113 games last year for Texas. He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Wednesday night that he intends to test the free agent market in the fall.