Eaton was spotted in the locker room Sunday without a walking boot on his injured left ankle, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

While it's seemingly positive that Eaton no longer needs the boot to protect the ankle, it shouldn't be taken as evidence that the outfielder has taken a substantial step forward in his recovery. According to Byron Kerr of MASN Sports, Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that Eaton will continue to travel with the club during its upcoming West Coast swing, but there's no guarantee that he'll be cleared to resume baseball activities at any point on the trip. The absences of Eaton and Brian Goodwin (wrist) should continue to open up more time in left field for Howie Kendrick, Matt Adams and Andrew Stevenson.