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At the most opportune time of the year, with the season heading into the crucial playoff stretch run, the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks are growing increasingly healthier.

The Seahawks on Sunday will be another step closer to fully reassembling an offensive unit ravaged by injuries, when right tackle Sean Locklear returns to the starting lineup. The three-year veteran, who started all 16 games in 2005 when Seattle advanced to Super Bowl XL, has missed the last six starts.

Locklear, 25, was suspended for the Oct. 29 game for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. He then missed four games with a high left ankle sprain. The former North Carolina State star was active for last Sunday's victory at Denver, but principally played on special teams as Tom Ashworth started for the sixth straight time.

But Ashworth, a versatile five-year veteran signed as an unrestricted free agent this spring, will return to the bench for Sunday's game at Arizona. And Locklear, a third-round choice in 2004 who won a three-way competition for the starting right tackle job at training camp in 2005, will return to the lineup.

His return means the Seahawks -- who have been forced to shuffle bodies at left guard, center and right tackle because of injuries -- will have four of their regular offensive line starters together again. Center Robbie Tobeck, who is still recovering from an abscess in his left hip, will not play this week. Tobeck lost about 15 pounds battling the infection and it is not yet certain when he will play again.

Still, the return of Locklear, coupled with recent comebacks by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (knee) and tailback Shaun Alexander (foot) from injuries, puts the Seattle offense near 100 percent at a juncture of the season when a lot of other NFC teams are trying to compensate for injuries.

"Nobody is [completely] healthy this time of year," Locklear said. "But the closer you are, the better, and we seem to be getting people back at a great time."

A former part-time starter in New England, the versatile Ashworth has played well in Locklear's absence, and coach Mike Holmgren cited him this week for having performed a "yeoman's job." Ashworth probably will spell Locklear at times in Sunday's game. Holmgren noted that, with all the injuries on the blocking unit, where only left tackle Walter Jones and right guard Chris Gray have lined up in the same spot every week, having Ashworth was a huge plus.

But the Seahawks are anxious to get their offense back together again for the stretch run, and the return of Locklear is another move in that direction.

A onetime defensive lineman in college, who switched to offense after two seasons at North Carolina State, Locklear is a solid strongside blocker in the running game and an improving pass protector.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.