After missing nearly a month with lumbar spine inflammation, Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez was activated from the 10-day injured list Monday.
Baez, 31, was in the starting lineup and batting seventh for Monday's series opener against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. He recorded one hit in Detroit's 1-0 win over Cleveland.
To open a spot on the active 26-man roster, the Tigers optioned infielder Ryan Kreidler to Triple-A Toledo. Outfielder Akil Badoo was recalled from Toledo after outfielder Parker Meadows (right hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day IL.
Baez, who last played for the Tigers on June 8, began a rehab stint with Toledo on July 2 and hit .333 with one RBI in four games. In 53 games season with Detroit, Baez is hitting .183 with one home run and 25 RBIs.
In 11 seasons with the Chicago Cubs (2014-21), New York Mets (2021) and Tigers, Baez holds a .252 batting average with 176 home runs and 616 RBIs in 1,195 games. The two-time All-Star was a first-round pick of the Cubs (No. 9 overall) in the 2011 draft.
Kreidler, 26, has spent parts of the last three seasons with the Tigers, who picked him up in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. This season in 19 games, he's hitting .125 with one home run and two RBIs. Overall, he's a .153 hitter with two homers and eight RBIs in 56 career games.
The 24-year-old Meadows, selected by the Tigers in the second round of the 2018 draft, was hitting just .131 with three homers and five RBIs in 35 games this season. Since debuting last season, he has a .191 batting average, six homers and 18 RBIs in 72 games.
Baddoo, 25, entered Monday hitting .132 with two homers and four RBIs in 22 games this season. A second-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2016 draft, Baddoo has hit .228 with 28 homers and 102 RBIs in 331 games since debuting with the Tigers in 2021.