The 49ers' initial preseason depth chart lists Michael Crabtree as the team's only starting wide receiver. Listed opposite Crabtree is "Randy Moss or Mario Manningham or Ted Ginn." It's business as usual from coach Jim Harbaugh, who has made a habit of both talking up the mercurial Crabtree during his two years in San Francisco, and insisting he has five candidates to be the No. 1 receiver in camp. Moss is the favorite to open the year as a starter opposite Crabtree.

Michael Crabtree (calf) returned to 49ers practice on Monday. Crabtree missed seven practices after suffering the injury on the first day of camp. Although the No. 10 overall pick of the 2009 draft likely won't suit up for Friday's preseason opener, there's now hope yet for him to appear in his first ever exhibition game. Crabtree held out for the Niners' entire preseason slate as a rookie before missing all of 2010's exhibition tilts with a neck injury and 2011's with a foot ailment. Crabtree did, however, appear in all 16 regular season games in 2011.

Profootballtalk's Mike Florio believes Michael Crabtree (calf) could jeopardize his starting job if he's sidelined much longer. Crabtree has missed six straight practices, but coach Jim Harbaugh insists he's close to a return. "We feel like we'll get him back soon, and we can pick right back up," Harbaugh said Friday. "I don't think this is going to be a major bump in the road. It's going to be a minor one." Harbaugh has made a habit of bending the truth, but Crabtree's job shouldn't be under threat until he misses multiple preseason games.

Michael Crabtree has missed six straight practices with his right calf injury. Crabtree injured the leg on the first practice of Niners camp last Friday. He hasn't been back on the field since. Beat writer Matt Maiocco considers Crabtree "questionable" for the 49ers' preseason opener next Friday evening.

Updating a previous item, Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area suspects that Michael Crabtree is missing training camp practices with a right calf injury -- not a sprained ankle. "Based on the Kinesio tape on the back of (Crabtree's) right lower leg," Maiocco tweeted, "it appears as if he has a strained calf muscle." The 49ers have declined to elaborate on the area or extent of Crabtree's right leg injury, so the beat writers had just been guessing. He's still considered day to day.

Michael Crabtree's right ankle injury is not related to the foot problem that has plagued him since coming out of Texas Tech. The foot Crabtree had surgically repaired before the 2009 draft was his left, and the most recent issues are with Crabtree's right foot. "Like any injury, you never know how long it's going to take these guys to come back," GM Trent Baalke said Sunday. "But he's working hard at it. The prognosis looks good."

Michael Crabtree has missed two straight days of practice with a right ankle injury. Crabtree dropped out of Friday's practice with the injury, then missed Saturday and Sunday's sessions. It sounds like a day-to-day thing, but Crabtree needs to get right to secure a big role in San Francisco's offense. It's not out of the question that he could lose snaps to the 49ers' three big wideout additions.

Michael Crabtree says his troublesome left foot feels as good as it has since he was a college freshman in 2007. Crabtree has undergone two surgeries on his left foot. "I'm just feeling good, man," Crabtree said. "It's been a while. It just feels good not to have to go through so many warm-ups, putting on a bunch of wraps and (ointments) just to go out and play." Crabtree caught a career-high 72 passes for 874 yards in 2011, but will have to contend with a more crowded receiver corps this season. He's still the 49ers' wideout to own, however.

Alex Smith suggested Michael Crabtree may be the early star of 49ers OTAs. "He's healthy, and I think he's excited about that," Smith said. "Running really well out here, making plays. It's exciting to see." In the final 11 games of the 2011 regular season, Crabtree posted 61 catches for 742 yards and four touchdowns. That line would translate to 89/1,079/6 over 16 games. The presence of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham should free up space for Crabtree over the middle, but he will have more competition for targets in 2012.

49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told KNBR 680 in San Francisco Friday that Michael Crabtree has the best hands he's ever seen. Notably, Harbaugh played two seasons with Marvin Harrison in Indianapolis. Crabtree certainly has great hands for highlight-reel catches, but he dropped too many easy passes last season. Pro Football Focus credited Crabtree with 11 drops among 107 pass targets. The drops were the seventh most in the league among wide receivers, while the target total ranked just 24th.