Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, is making slight progress but has not been cleared to swing a bat or take fly balls.

"It takes three months for sutures to heal," Ludwick told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That's the protocol. Flexibility and strength are ahead of schedule."

Ludwick is scheduled to resume baseball activity in early July in hopes of returning at some point near the All-Star break.

Rockies starting pitcher Jeff Francis threw another bullpen session Friday, as he continues to recover from a left groin injury. He threw 25 pitches without issue, and will likely take the next step in his recovery in the next few days.

The next step would likely include an outing in extended spring training, according to the Denver Post. Francis would be re-evaluated after that point, to determine his next step. 

Before determining his availability Friday against the Giants, Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt will throw in the pen before the game, according to the Denver Post. Betancourt has been unavailable with a groin injury.  

If Betancourt's bullpen session does not go well, the team might opt to put him on the disabled list in order let the injury heal completely. 

Angels pitcher Tommy Hanson is schedule to throw 75 pitches in an extended spring training start Saturday, the Orange County Register reports. If he makes one more start before returning, he could be on track to be back June 4.

Hanson is on the restricted list and hasn't started for the Angels since May 4.

Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer is in the starting lineup Friday against the Giants after being activated from the 15-day disabled list. Cuddyer was out with a bulging disk in his neck.

He had 15 plate appearances in two days at extended spring training and should be up to speed after facing Angels starter Jered Weaver in his own rehab start, according to the Denver Post.

Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos, who is recovering from a hamstring strain, has started jogging this week and taking early batting practice, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Bourjos has missed all of May after suffering the injury during the team's 19-inning game last month.

After his first two starts, the Pirates' Francisco Liriano was an intriguing pickup in Fantasy, but he hadn't done anything impressive enough to win over owners in standard mixed leagues. Clearly, after shutting down the Cubs over seven innings Wednesday, that's not the case anymore.

It seems like an eternity ago, but in 2010, Liriano was back on the upswing in Fantasy, with 201 strikeouts in a 14-win season for the Twins. Since then, injuries and his usual control problems have derailed him. But at age 29, his stuff is still exceptional. Who's to say he can't recapture his prior form?

Obviously, control will be the key, but after three starts in which it hasn't come back to bite him, he's worth the benefit of the doubt over a struggling Dan Haren or middling Jeremy Guthrie. Maybe the move to the NL will do for him what it did for A.J. Burnett.

Soon after his two-homer game Monday, I said Yan Gomes wasn't worth the trouble in Fantasy because he's a backup catcher. But he has homered once since then and seems to be getting more playing time, having started four of the Indians' last seven games.

Now, part of the reason was because Nick Swisher missed three games for the birth of his daughter. But Gomes clearly made an impression in Swisher's absence, and manager Terry Francona was singing his praises even before then.

Given the versatility up and down their lineup -- from Swisher to Carlos Santana to Mark Reynolds to Gomes himself -- the Indians could find creative ways to keep giving Gomes at-bats, perhaps sitting Drew Stubbs or Michael Brantley occasionally for him. He's most likely looking at no more than 3-4 starts per week, but as a poor man's Evan Gattis, he could factor in leagues that require starting two catchers.

Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer was activated, as expected, for Friday's game against the Giants. Cuddyer had been on the disabled list since May 11 with a bulging disk in his neck.

Cuddyer will be available for the game, but it is not yet clear whether he will be in the starting lineup. 

Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Karstens, who is recovering from shoulder inflammation, has traveled with Triple-A Indianapolis for a weekend series in Buffalo but has not been scheduled for a rehab start. Karstens could bump Saturday's starter Gerrit Cole, since Sunday's starter is Charlie Morton, who is also making a rehab start, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.