Ball (groin) was limited in practice Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Raiders, ESPN.com reports.

Ball put in three limited practices this week, his first action since suffering the groin injury back in Week 5 against the Cardinals. Head coach John Fox said he was pleased with the shape that Ball is in, having lost 12 pounds during his recovery, and he is expected to be active Sunday. However, Fox did not specify whether Ball would reclaim his starting job from Ronnie Hillman, who has performed exceptionally well in his absence.

Ball (groin) practiced on a limited basis again on Thursday, ESPN.com reports.

More on Ball's status Friday, though even if he does suit up Sunday against the Raiders, he appears unlikely to immediately supplant Ronnie Hillman as the Broncos' lead back.

Ball (groin) said that he felt "great" after practicing on a limited basis Wednesday, ESPN.com reports.

That said, Ball acknowledged that the Broncos' medical staff has yet to make a decision regarding the running back's availability for Sunday's game against the Raiders. Moreover, with Ronnie Hillman having filled in capably in his absence, Ball doesn't expect to reclaim his starting assignment immediately upon his return. "He should (be the starter), he definitely should," Ball said of Hillman on Wednesday. "the run game has been a lot better since he's been in there. So I'm not going to sit here and lie to myself. So, when I come back I'm going to contribute as much as possible and try to get that spot back." To that end Ball, who had been playing at 224 pounds, indicated that his weight is now down to 212 pounds, which he hopes will help boost his quickness and ability to hit the holes faster upon his return to the Broncos' backfield mix.

Ball (groin) was spotted at practice Wednesday, Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports.

We'd expect Ball -- who last played in Week 5 -- to be listed as a limited participant Wednesday, but either way, it's clear that the running back is progressing toward a return to the Broncos' backfield mix, which has been led by Ronnie Hillman in Ball's absence.

Ball (groin) may be able to return to practice next week, though likely on a limited basis, the Denver Post reports.

Ball has not played since Oct. 5 against the Cardinals and has been replaced by Ronnie Hillman, who has played very well in Ball's absence, including two 100-yard games and another with two touchdowns. Even if Ball is able to practice next week, there is no guarantee that he'll play in Week 10 against the Raiders, or that he'll get his starting job back when he's healthy.

Ball (right groin) is listed as out for Sunday's game against the Patriots, ESPN.com reports.

The report notes that Ball worked with the Broncos' strength and conditioning staff during the team's workouts this week, but he continues to miss practice and his potential return date remains unclear at this stage.

Ball (groin) continues to be a non-participant at practice, the Broncos' official site reports.

In the absence of a timetable for Ball's potential return, we'll operate under the assumption that Ronnie Hillman will head the Broncos' Week 9 rushing attack, provided that the shoulder issue that limited him at practice Wednesday is nothing major.

Ball could return in as little as one month from the groin strain he suffered last Sunday against the Cardinals, the Denver Post reports.

The team was considering putting Ball on injured reserve/designated to return, but an MRI revealed less damage than initially feared, which will allow Ball to return much sooner. Ronnie Hillman is expected to start Sunday against the Jets, a tough matchup to try to show he deserves the job for as long as Ball is sidelined, while C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson are also expected to see an increase in playing time.

Though Ball will not need surgery to repair his strained groin, he is expected to miss a couple weeks of action, Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports.

While Ball is sidelined, Ronnie Hillman is in line to head the Broncos' rushing attack, with C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson on track to work in complementary/reserve roles in the team's backfield.

According to coach John Fox, Ball is dealing with a groin strain, Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports.

While Fox did not discuss the severity of Ball's injury, NFL.com relays that there are fears that the issue is serious enough to force the running back to miss time. If that's the case, Ronnie Hillman would be in line to head the Broncos' rushing attack in Ball's absence, starting Sunday against the Jets.

Ball is feared to have suffered a major groin injury during Sunday's game versus Arizona, although an MRI scheduled for Monday should help clarify his situation, NFL.com reports.

Ball was forced out of Sunday's game during the third quarter and needed to be helped off the field due to his groin injury. Pending Monday's MRI results, Ball could face an extended spell on the sidelines, although the severity of his injury is yet to be determined. Should Ball be ruled out for any number of weeks, Ronnie Hillman would figure to be promoted to the Broncos' starting running back position, with C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson also factoring into Denver's backfield setup.

Ball will have an MRI on his strained groin Monday, The Denver Post reports.

A league source told the Denver Post that "the initial belief is Ball will be out for a while." If that's the case, the Broncos will turn to Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson and C.J. Anderson, the last of whom was a healthy scratch for Sunday's game. After Ball left in the third quarter, Hillman got most of the work, with Thompson contributing three carries for 15 yards and a touchdown. Hillman would be most likely to get the start in Ball's stead, but he'd probably split carries with at least one of the other two guys. Thompson is easily the biggest of the bunch, which might make him the top choice for goal-line work. In any case, the extent of Ball's injury is still uncertain, with more information likely to come Monday or Tuesday. The second-year back is off to a surprisingly slow start, sitting at 55 carries for just 172 yards and a touchdown through five games. He also hasn't done much through the air, with 11 nine catches for 51 yards.

Ball left Sunday's game against the Cardinals in the third quarter with a groin injury, and he is considered questionable to return.

Ball had to be helped off the field, leaving Ronnie Hillman as the Broncos' top running back. According to Jeff Legwold of the Denver Post, RB Juwan Thompson exited earlier in the game with a knee injury, but the rookie has since returned to the contest. C.J. Anderson, meanwhile, was a healthy inactive for Sunday's game.

Ball fumbled on his first carry of the game and eventually finished with 38 rushing yards on 14 carries and six receiving yards on two receptions during Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss at Seattle.

Ball lost some snaps in the second half to backup Ronnie Hillman, though the latter only finished with nine total yards. Despite a fairly poor start to the season, Ball remains the workhorse back for one of the best offensive units in the NFL. The downside is that after a Week 4 bye, the Broncos will face off against the Cardinals, Jets and 49ers, three of the better run-stopping defenses they'll face this season.

Ball had 12 carries for 60 rushing yards and three catches on three targets for 29 receiving yards Sunday against the Chiefs.

Ball hasn't exactly been a breakout performer yet for the Broncos, which many people expected would happen in an effort to reduce the dependency on quarterback Peyton Manning. However, Manning has six touchdown passes through two games and Ball has only 127 rushing yards, but he's still the clear starter (backup C.J. Anderson had 31 yards on five carries), so he still has plenty of fantasy potential, though he's got an incredibly difficult matchup in Week 3 at Seattle.

Ball had 23 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown and two receptions for 16 yards in Sunday's 31-24 win over the Colts.

Ball ran hard and found the end zone, but he didn't look very quick, and was largely limited to short gains. Of course, most fantasy owners didn't draft Ball for this talent, but rather because he's expected to dominate the workload in a Peyton Manning offense. Ball did exactly that, as C.J. Anderson registered just four touches (all carries), while Juwan Thompson had none, and Ronnie Hillman was inactive. Next up for Ball is a matchup with the Chiefs, a team that has plenty of talent in its front seven, but one that also allowed 162 rushing yards on 38 carries (4.3 YPC) in Sunday's loss to the Titans. With the Chiefs losing star inside linebacker Derrick Johnson (knee) in that game, Ball may find more room to run than previously expected.

Ball (appendix) had 13 yards on four carries and 21 yards on four receptions in Saturday's preseason game against the Texans.

Ball touched the rock on the first five offensive plays of the game as the Broncos thrust him right into things. It was an interesting way to start his preseason, and should answer any questions about lingering effects from the appendectomy. Locked in as the starter, Ball should be active through the air and near the goal line, in addition to getting most of the early-down work.

Ball (appendix) is expected to make his 2014 preseason debut Saturday against the Texans, the Denver Post reports.

Ball, who underwent an appendectomy on Aug. 4, was medically cleared for full practice participation Monday.After being initially held out of 11-on-11 team drills, Ball received reps and carries with the Broncos' first-team offense Thursday, which sets the stage for him to see some action Saturday. While it wouldn't surprise us to see him eased back into the mix Saturday, a return to action, in any capacity, would confirm that Ball is on track to be good to go for Week 1.

Ball (appendix) took part in individual drills, along with getting in some 7-on-7 work with the Broncos' starters at Wednesday's practice, ESPN.com reports.

Ball, who is bouncing back from an appendectomy, returned to practice Tuesday, with his increased participation Wednesday another positive step that points toward the running back being ready for action in advance of Week 1.

Ball (appendix) did not participate in Tuesday's team practice against the Texans, the Denver Post reports.

Ball, who is still recovering from a recent appendectomy, won't be risked this week in what are usually high-contact intra-squad practices. Expected to be the Broncos' No. 1 running back this season, Ball likely won't feature in either of Denver's remaining two preseason games, leaving Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson go receive first-team reps. Nontheless, Ball still should be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, although that would be his first game action since last season.