INDIANAPOLIS -- New Indianapolis Colts center A.Q. Shipley took part in his first practice Monday.

And all his snaps were the first-team offense. That tells you where things stand at center with the Colts.

Shipley could end up starting against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Khaled Holmes (ankle) and Jonotthan Harrison (thumb) both missed practice Monday because of injuries.

“A.Q. is a guy that had started and won games for us both at center and guard,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. “We know he can play both. We’ll see where the health and availability of Khaled is on Wednesday. Jon Harrison, we’ll see where that is. Then we’ll make that decision.”

The Colts claimed Shipley off waivers from Baltimore on Sunday. He played with the Colts during the 2012 season before being traded to the Ravens in 2013.

The goal is for Holmes to practice Wednesday to get a better indication of where he’s at with his ankle, which he sprained in the preseason opener on Aug. 7.

“For me I think it’s huge,” Holmes said. “It’ll be a good test of where I’m at. It’s been tough but I try to keep a positive attitude and work to get better.”

The reality is Holmes is a long shot to play against the Broncos. Wednesday will be his first practice in four weeks and he's been limited on his conditioning work because he’s dealing with a lower-body injury. Those issues and the altitude in Denver, which can be tough on the most conditioned players, makes the odds of Holmes playing pretty slim.

“I don’t care what position you’re playing, considering the circumstances,” Pagano said. “Anybody that has missed a considerable amount of time coming back, knocking the rust off and being in shape. All those things will be difficult for anybody, but we’ll just see how that plays out.”