Ankle

COLLEGE PARK -- Terence Morris missed a game for the first time in his Maryland career because of a sore left ankle, but the junior All-America forward said he may return to practice as early as tomorrow. Dressed in black, Morris wasn't completely somber yesterday, continually clapping and joking in the middle of the bench with teammate Byron Mouton. Morris walked with a slight limp, favoring the ankle that he injured against Wake Forest on Wednesday. After finding himself tied up with a Demon Deacon in the lane, he tried to replant the foot, rolling the ankle and causing a second-degree sprain.

Less than one hour yesterday after midfielder Tim Wittman passed his physical and was cleared to play again with the Major Soccer League's Baltimore Blast, goalkeeper Scott Manning went down in practice with a strained lateral ligament in his left ankle.Manning, voted by the media last season as the league's top goalkeeper and the Blast's Most Valuable Player, most likely will be out two to three weeks.Manning was in front of the goal late in practice when he blocked a shot by Mark Mettrick, then "rolled the ankle," said Blast coach Kenny Cooper.

Haruki Nakamura's road to recovery began with a walk and ended with a run. The run is perhaps the most memorable, a 51-yard scamper off a fake punt against the Washington Redskins Saturday night that included evading a takedown behind at the line of scrimmage, juking another would-be tackler, and finally running out of gas one yard short of the end zone. The play, which led to the first offense's only touchdown of the preseason game, served to fully validate Nakamura's return from the gruesome broken right ankle suffered on the opening kickoff of a Monday night game against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 16. Behind the scenes though, Nakamura's renewal can be traced to the arrival of his daughter Hina, who, at the time of her father's injury, was five months old and already taking part in the beginning stages of cruising.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Though not proclaiming his left ankle any better than in recent days, Orioles center fielder Brady Anderson returned to the lineup last night in his familiar leadoff spot.Anderson didn't play in the three-game series in Seattle because of soreness in the ankle, which has been persistent since he jammed it into the padded fence in center during Wednesday's game against Texas at Camden Yards. He played the next day but was advised by the club's medical personnel to rest it and aim for a return in Oakland.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Roberto Alomar's sprained left ankle is healing quickly, and although trainer Richie Bancells isn't ready to say the All-Star second baseman will be back sooner than expected, Bancells is "very encouraged."Bancells is accelerating Alomar's treatment as he improves, and yesterday Alomar walked around without the aid of crutches he had been using since suffering the sprain Feb. 12. The Orioles initially expected Alomar to miss four weeks, but the swelling in his ankle is almost gone.

Do you still believe in the Magic? A little more than a month into the season, the team many picked to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals is just beginning to hit its stride. But the way things have gone so far for the Orlando Magic, a few more stumbles might occur along the way. Helped by scheduling that included three of the league's worst teams in a row - Washington on the road, then Memphis and Chicago at home - the Magic climbed back over .500 (11-10) after splitting games with Atlanta the past two nights.

The Ravens confirmed Thursday that starting right guard Marshal Yanda returned to practice. Yanda, a Pro Bowler last year, participated on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday's session because of an injured ankle. Nose tackle Terrence Cody (arm) and rookie strong safety Christian Thompson (thigh) were downgraded to limited participation after not being listed on Wednesday's injury report. Five players who were limited Wednesday - wide receivers Torrey Smith (chest) and Jacoby Jones (ankle)

No one would to take issue with Lee Evans feeling a little bit rusty in the Ravens' 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, his first game since Sept. 18 against the Tennessee Titans. But the wide receiver isn't buying into that theory. “I guess you can look at it that way,” Evans said after being targeted just one time and being unable to register a catch in the team's 31-24 win against the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday. “Anytime you're out on the field though, you have an opportunity to make plays, and you've got to make them.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Maryland usually compounded its mistakes in yesterday's Atlantic Coast Conference championship loss, and no one felt the pain of that more than Danny Miller. Just 7 1/2 minutes into the game, the Terrapins' defensive specialist sprained his left ankle after trying to stop an uncontested Mike Dunleavy layup off his turnover. Miller didn't play the final 29 minutes of the 81-68 loss to Duke, but Maryland trainer J. J. Bush said the X-rays were negative and expects him to play Thursday in the Terrapins' NCAA first-round game against Iona.

Chuck Evans understood the painful demands of playing fullback. Still, the eight-year veteran never anticipated an off-season like this past one. In January, he had his left ankle scoped for bone spurs. A month later, he underwent an operation on his elbow. Evans thought he only had to concentrate on rehabilitation, until he learned he needed further surgery on his ankle in early April. That's why Evans took special pleasure yesterday, snapping on his helmet for the first time this year.