Ryan Ludwick (toe) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI in his return to the starting lineup Sunday. Ludwick sat out Saturday after fouling a ball off his big toe on Friday night. The veteran outfielder is hitting .306/.352/.449 with seven RBI in 14 games.

Ryan Ludwick returned to action on Sunday April 20.

Ryan Ludwick is expected miss a few games after fouling a ball off his big toe in Friday's victory over the Cubs. X-Rays came back negative, but he's still very sore. Chris Heisey is getting the start in his place on Saturday and will see the bulk of the action while Ludwick is sidelined.

Ryan Ludwick is not in the Reds' lineup Wednesday. It's just a day off for the veteran. Chris Heisey is taking Ludwick's spot in left field. Zack Cozart is also getting a breather, with Ramon Santiago filling in at shortstop.

Ryan Ludwick's Cactus League struggles continued on Sunday, going 0-for-3 in a losing effort against the Angels. The 35-year-old outfielder is hitting just .188 (3-for-18) in the early going with five strikeouts. With Chris Heisey tearing the cover off the ball in Arizona, he may want to kick things into gear or risk losing playing time in the Reds outfield.

Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs batted in on Tuesday against the Royals. Ludwick's first blast of the spring, a two-run shot, came in the first inning against Danny Duffy. Two weeks ago, manager Bryan Price said he'll probably have Ludwick hit in the clean-up spot against lefties and fifth against right-handers. With speedster Billy Hamilton and on-base machine Joey Votto batting in front of him, the RBI opportunities should be plentiful for Ludwick.

Reds manager Bryan Price said that Ryan Ludwick will, "in probability," bat cleanup against left-handers. He'll bat fifth against righties but will flip-flop with the left-handed hitting Jay Bruce when a southpaw is on the mound. This, combined with Ludwick's recent revelation that he's finally back to 100 percent following shoulder surgery, makes the 35-year-old an intriguing bounce-back candidate. Ludwick batted .275/.346/.531 with 26 homers and 80 RBI in 2012 before last year's injury-shortened season.

Ryan Ludwick estimated Monday that his surgically-repaired right shoulder wasn't fully healthy until the end of December. Ludwick tore his labrum on Opening Day last season and hit just .240 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 38 games after returning in August. The outfielder expects to have a bounce-back season now that he's back to 100 percent. "I think a lot of people don't understand that you come off of surgery, you rehab for four months, you're not going to be as strong as you are the following year," Ludwick said. "I kept telling people around me that they don't understand that. I've been through surgeries and you're never back feeling good until a year post-op."

Ryan Ludwick is once again hitting in the two-hole in the Reds starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Pirates. It's certainly a favorable matchup for the veteran slugger against struggling southpaw Jeff Locke. The 35-year-old is hitting .250/.299/.339 through 36 games this season with two homers, 12 RBI and a 29/9 K/BB ratio.

Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Friday's loss to the Brewers. Ludwick had one of the Reds' four hits on the night and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Devin Mesoraco. The veteran outfielder is hitting .256 (22-for-86) with two home runs, five doubles and eight RBI in 26 games since returning from shoulder surgery. He's worth a shot for those desperate for power in deeper mixed fantasy leagues.