Ryan Howard has been bothered by bursitis in his left ankle since early August.

On Friday, he was out of the Phillies starting lineup for the fourth time in the last 10 games.

While he said the days off help, Howard doesn't believe his ankle will get completely better until he has a full offseason to rest. And he didn't rule out the possibility of getting a cortisone shot before the postseason begins in two weeks.

"That cold be a possibility," Howard said. "Right now it's still early enough to where hopefully we can clinch (the NL East) and we'll discuss that and see if it's the best option. "The pain is probably the most constant thing. Some days the range of motion in my ankle will be looser some days than other days. The pain is probably the biggest constant."

Howard's game-winning RBI double in the 10th inning Thursday night gave the Phils a 2-1 win over Florida. Howard had been hitless in 16 at-bats before that at-bat.

Howard is hitting .255 with a .950 OPS, four home runs and 10 RBIs in 15 games this month.