Ryan Ludwick is not in the Reds' lineup Friday. It's just a day off for Ludwick, who is hitless in 11 at-bats since returning from the DL. Chris Heisey is in left field.

Ryan Ludwick went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Cubs on Wednesday. Ludwick is 0-for-7 in his two starts since coming off the DL on Monday. Neither Chris Heisey nor Xavier Paul was playing well prior to Ludwick's return, so the Reds should be patient. Still, there's no guarantee that it will pay off.

Ryan Ludwick is back in the Reds' lineup Wednesday. Ludwick was held out of Tuesday's lineup as a precautionary measure. He's batting sixth and starting in left field Wednesday against the Cubs.

Ryan Ludwick is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday. Ludwick started on Monday, but the Reds decided not to play him on back-to-back days. The 35-year-old outfielder is hitless in his first three at-bats since returning from the disabled list.

Ryan Ludwick is batting sixth in his return to the Reds' starting lineup Monday against the Cubs. It will be his first major league action since he dislocated his right shoulder on Opening Day. Shin-Soo Choo is leading off, Todd Frazier is batting second, Joey Votto is hitting third, Brandon Phillips is at cleanup and Jay Bruce will bat fifth. Ludwick could hold sneaky fantasy value down the stretch if his bat gets going.

Reds activated Ryan Ludwick from the 60-day disabled list. Ludwick has been out since Opening Day, but was finally cleared to return after competing a minor league rehab assignment. He should provide a much needed upgrade over Chris Heisey as the Reds' starting left fielder. Ludwick's power potential makes him worth an add in all mixed leagues.

Ryan Ludwick (shoulder) is expected to return from the disabled list on Monday. Ludwick has been sidelined since separating his shoulder on Opening Day. He may have been activated over the weekend, but has struggled through his rehab assignment, hitting just .111 (4-for-36) with one homer through his first 11 games. His massive power potential is certainly worth an add in all mixed leagues.

Reds GM Walt Jocketty expects Ryan Ludwick (shoulder) to return next week. Ludwick has been out since Opening Day with a right shoulder injury, but moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday and is finally close to being activated from the disabled list. He batted .275/.346/.531 with 26 home runs and 80 RBI last season and will immediately replace Chris Heisey as the Reds' starting left fielder.

Ryan Ludwick (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Dayton on Wednesday. "I feel good," Ludwick said. "I've had some sore days but nothing that hasn't gotten better within a day or two. I'd say I'm getting more sore if areas other than my shoulder - my back and my legs and wrist. It's going to a progress. It's obviously going to be a longer rehab assignment. We'll see how he plays out." Ludwick is hoping that he won't need the full 20 days on his rehab assignment, but it will surely be something close to that. "But I'm not in charge either," Ludwick said. "I let those guys make the decisions and I play."

Ryan Ludwick (shoulder) expects to begin playing in rehab games by the end of this month. Ludwick told reporters Thursday that he's swinging a bat now at about 85 percent effort and experiencing no discomfort in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. The veteran outfielder is on track to return around the middle of August. He's been out since Opening Day.