OWINGS MILLS – The Baltimore Ravens officially ruled out starting wide receiver Lee Evans and offensive guard Ben Grubbs after they were unable to practice for the past three days.

Grubbs will miss his fifth consecutive game Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a painful right turf toe.

And Evans will miss his fourth game in a row with a left ankle injury that has bothered him since the preseason.

“Probably slower than any of us imagined those guys would be,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We just have to keep fighting in there and try to get them back. I think there’s going to be one day that we’re going to walk in here and those guys are going to go through a full practice, and they’re going to feel good, and they’ll be ready to go. Hopefully, sooner rather than later.”

The Ravens previously ruled out linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (hamstrings, groin) and rookie running back Anthony Allen (thigh).

Grubbs suffered a setback last week when his toe got stepped on during practice.

There hasn’t been any new magnetic resonance imaging exam conducted.

“It’s still waiting for him to respond,” Harbaugh said. “It’s just the process of getting the swelling out, getting the bruising out and the healing process that takes place. I know that’s pretty vague, but that’s the best I can do.”

SMITH IS PROBABLE: The outlook is more promising for rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith, who participated fully in practice again Saturday after missing the past four games with a high left ankle sprain.

He's listed as probable, and cornerback Chris Carr is questionable with a left hamstring injury.

"Very encouraging, Jimmy and Chris, too.,” Harbaugh said. “I was a little pleasantly surprised by Chris and his progress, too. They both practiced most of the week. Jimmy got progressively better as the week went on. We'll just have to see Monday night.

“Hopefully, we can get those guys out there. There will have to be some roster choices. We're a little bit more healthy now, so we'll have to decide what combination of guys give us the best chance.”

Smith was noncommittal on whether he would be able to return Monday.

“I feel good,” Smith said. “I don't know if I'll be able to play this game, but I feel good. I'm optimistic. I don't really know what the coaches are going to do. I think everything is improving.”

The first-round draft pick from Colorado said it's been a frustrating six weeks for him. He’s not accustomed to dealing with a long-term injury.

“My first taste of the NFL, first taste of injury and being out, so it's something I've had to adapt to,” Smith said. "I've never been in a situation like that. I didn't know what to expect or how you come back from something like that. The team is real supportive, everybody's just been supportive and encouraging me. They've been keeping my spirits lifted.”

Smith is holding out some hope of playing Monday night, though.

“It would mean a lot to me, it would mean a lot to the fans, it would mean a lot to the team,” he said. “But you've got to do what's best for the team. If I'm not ready to go, then they're not going to put me out there.”

Harbaugh said the team would ponder whether holding out Smith one more week would be beneficial.

“Yeah that’s probably part of it, but the other side of the coin is you want to get a young guy out there playing,” Harbaugh said. “He needs to play, too. He hasn’t played much. He played very little in the preseason. I think that’s going to be tough for him. So, both of those things are on our mind.”

Smith would love to make his return in a nationally televised Monday night contest.

“It would mean a lot to me, a lot to the fans, and it would mean a lot to the team,” Smith said. “They’re going to do what’s best for the team. And if I’m not ready to go, then they’re not going to put me out there.”

ZBIKOWSKI IS DOUBFUL: Strong safety Tom Zbikowski hasn't been cleared for contact yet following a concussion suffered two games ago against the New York Jets.

He's listed as doubtful and has been limited in practice the past two days.

“He has not been cleared yet, but we're hopeful,” Harbaugh said.

Zbikowki’s concussion symptoms are clearing up.

“Obviously, it’s never as fast as you want it to be,” Zbikowski said. “You want to be back as soon as you can, but once again, it’s a brain injury. It’s not a hamstring injury or something like that. Certain things set it off. It’s not that painful or anything, but it’s something you want to be careful with.”

Zbikowski wasn’t optimistic that he would play Monday night even if doctors clear him to play medically.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll decide as we go. We’ve still got a couple days.”

QUICK HITS: Outside linebacker Jarret Johnson (back) is listed as probable. He has played in a franchise-record 118 consecutive games. .. Kick returner and wide receiver David Reed is probable with a finger injury after not appearing on the injury report until Saturday. He’s slated to be the primary kickoff returner Monday night ahead of Bryan McCann. …The Jaguars ruled out reserve safety Courtney Greene (hamstring). Offensive tackle Eben Britton (back) is doubtful after missing his third practice in a row. … Former Ravens safety Dawan Landry (thigh) was limited again. He’s listed as probable, though. … Offensive tackles Eugene Monroe (shoulder) and Guy Whimper (hip) are probable as well as defensive tackle Tyson Alualu (knee), cornerback Derek Cox (groin) and linebacker Clint Session (elbow). … Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is concerned with Alualu due to his quickness. “Absolutely, and it would vary by play,” he said. “The defense is trying to get single blocks, and we are trying to find ways to get double-teams. He would be one of those guys.” … The Jaguars removed running back Maurice Jones-Drew, defensive end Aaron Kampman, cornerback Rashean Mathis and fullback Greg Jones from the injury report. They were initially listed for non-injury reasons. … U.S. Army sergeant first class Allen Wiseman visited practice. Wiseman is a huge Ravens fan who was wounded while stationed in the Middle East, wearing his Ray Lewis jersey into combat. “The one day he didn’t wear it, he got hit,” Harbaugh said. “He shared his story with our team. When he got to the hospital, he said, ‘OK, you have 45 minutes, because I’ve got a game to watch.’ It was the Chiefs-Ravens playoff game last year, and he wanted to make sure he saw that game. It’s amazing.”