Nick Johnson is making slow progress with his broken femur:

Shortly after Johnson fractured his right femur in a violent collision with right fielder Austin Kearns on Sept. 23 in New York, Ben Shaffer, the team's orthopedist, was optimistic that Johnson would be ready by the start of the 2007 season. But Shaffer said yesterday that Johnson was slow to regain flexibility in his leg. Shaffer said that although Johnson has shown significant progress recently and that the bone is healing as expected, he would not predict Johnson would be ready by the opener.

"I'd love to see him back in April," Shaffer said. "I'd love to see him back on Opening Day. But even if the bone heals completely and his gait is back to normal, how conditioned is he going to be?

Nick seems to be a slow healer with brittle bones. Can any doctors out there comment on this?