Matt Kemp injury: Dodgers outfielder still not running fully

The ankle surgery was the more serious of the two. His fractured talus bone required micro-fracture surgery, which meant a doctor putting a series of holes in the bone in order to promote cartilage growth. The surgery on his shoulder was a minor clean-up procedure needed after the more major surgery last year.

Kemp, 29, has not run outdoors yet. Rather, he has been simulating running on an “Alter-G” machine. This specialty anti-gravity treadmill takes some of the body weight off of his legs. He can hit, throw and walk in a boot with little to no pain, but running will be the key to his return. The injury was said to be career-threatening, though it seems unlikely that we have seen the last of Kemp’s playing days. His status for Opening Day is up in the air, however, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez.

Kemp does not want to rush back from his offseason surgery and said he will only play if he is 100 percent. He says he came back sooner than he probably should have from both of his injuries in 2013., when he played in just 73 games. He missed large chunks of June, July and September, and all of August due to shoulder troubles, hamstring issues and an ankle injury. When he was in the lineup at the beginning of the season, Kemp struggled after having his shoulder surgery. Overall, he hit .270/.328/.395 in 2013.

Kemp also missed a large portion of the 2012 season due to another hamstring injury. He played in just 106 games, though he hit better that season with a .906 OPS.

• Fanfest Nation: Pursuing “access” and game-worn pants

• Lance Berkman and the Hall of Fame: An argument based on ignorance

• Apple introducing 20 iBeacons to ballparks in March

• Brisbee: Where home runs look the best

• 2014 MLB salary arbitration tracker