PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Hostetler Ready to Return to Work

After a lost weekend in Kansas City, the Raiders found some good news back home. Quarterback Jeff Hostetler, who sat out Sunday’s 24-9 loss to the Chiefs because of a sprained right ankle, worked out at the team’s El Segundo training headquarters Monday morning and looked good. Good enough, in fact, for Coach Art Shell to predict that Hostetler will practice with the team on Wednesday.

Hostetler hasn’t been able to participate fully in practice since suffering the injury two weeks ago against the Cleveland Browns. He limped through the remainder of that game, then gave way to Vince Evans in Kansas City. “He’s improved quite a bit,” said Shell of Hostetler.

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The matter of Nick Bell is becoming more perplexing. Named the starting tailback before the season, Bell has yet to play because of a hamstring injury suffered in the exhibition finale.

Bell was deactivated for the Chief game, and Shell said it wasn’t solely because of the injury. “That was part of it,” Shell said, “and also the makeup of the team. We start looking at the special teams. Nick is a running back. He’s not a special teams player.”

Neither is Hostetler, but if he’s sound for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets at the Coliseum, you can be sure he’ll be activated. But Bell appears to be another matter.