ANAHEIM -- C.J. Cron was back with the Angels on Friday afternoon, and he's expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list before Saturday's game against the Yankees, manager Mike Scioscia said.
Cron has been sidelined since July 9, the result of a fractured left hand. The first baseman played six rehab games with Triple-A Salt Lake over the past week, going 3-for-20 (.150) with a double and three walks.
Cron went through a full pregame workout Friday, including fielding drills and batting practice on the field.
"If he comes out of his workout today -- he had a great workout -- we'll look to activate him tomorrow," Scioscia said before Friday's series opener against the Yankees.
The Angels could use Cron's bat in the lineup. The team entered Friday ranked 27th in the Majors with an average of 3.9 runs per game in August.
Cron hit .370 with five home runs and three doubles in his last 11 games prior to being injured in Baltimore on July 8, when he was hit by a pitch on the left hand that resulted in a fracture. Cron had surgery on July 12.
"Hopefully we're going to get to see C.J. the way he was swinging the bat just before he was injured," Scioscia said. "He had obviously found his swing and was driving the ball well and swinging the bat to his potential. You don't know when that is going to show up. You hope it shows up tomorrow. We definitely need him to lengthen our lineup and get in the middle of it."
Cron is hitting .278/.333/.475 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in 77 games this year. In his absence, Jefry Marte and Ji-Man Choi have split playing time at first base.
Worth Noting
• Garrett Richards (right elbow UCL injury) played catch from 60 feet again on Friday and reported no issues. He's trying to avoid Tommy John surgery and there is hope Richards progresses enough to pitch in the Instructional League.
• Reliever Cam Bedrosian (right middle finger flexor tendinitis) has started a throwing program, though he took a day off on Friday.
"With Cam, it might take a little bit of time, there's going to be some days down, so hopefully he's moving in the right direction, we feel he is," Scioscia said.
• Hal Morris has left his position as director of pro scouting to take a job with Fantex, an investment company geared toward professional athletes, Angels general manager Billy Eppler said. Eppler said he would look at internal and external candidates to fill the position.
Eppler said he is currently holding interviews for the scouting director job. The Angels removed Ric Wilson from the position earlier this month, and Wilson is still deciding whether he wants to remain with the organization, according to Eppler.