SS Jason Bartlett said he surprised himself with how well his sprained left ankle felt Tuesday, when he played catch, took ground balls and went through batting practice.

"I felt a lot better than I thought I would," he said.  

Bartlett, who is eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday, said his goal is to return by Friday, but the "smart thing" would be to wait until next Tuesday in Colorado, with a minor league assignment possible.

Manager Joe Maddon said he wasn't sure on when Bartlett will return, but is happy he's feeling better.

Bartlett said he's going to run the bases on Thursday, and will continue to test himself at the baseball activities that might be tough on his ankle, like twisting to throw, any change of direction.

"I'm still not where I want to be," Bartlett said. "No need to rush it right now."

Bartlett admits it's been frustrating to be out, considering when he went on the DL, he was leading the majors in hitting.

"Even in my (batting practice) session, I was trying to get that feel back and it's not coming back - I'm starting to stress," he said, smiling. "Is it going to be there when I start playing again? It is frustrating. I was feeling great. We’ll see what happens."

-- JOE SMITH, Times Staff Writer