The New York Yankees reinstated outfielder Harrison Bader from the injured list Tuesday.
Bader had been on the IL since May 30 with a hamstring strain. He was eligible to come off sooner but requested to extend his rehab stint to gain confidence in his healing hamstring.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is happy to have Bader back in the lineup.
"Just excited to get him back to what he means to us in the center of the diamond, his ability in center and the trickle-down effect that has of moving guys," said Boone. "And then the threat he's proven to be in the box from a power standpoint, from a speed standpoint. He's a very dynamic athletic player, but a real anchor for us offensively and excited to get him back."
Bader, 29, was removed from the May 29 game against the Seattle Mariners with tightness in his hamstring. He made his season debut May 2 after hurting his left oblique muscle early in spring training.
Playing his first full season with the Yankees, Bader is batting .267 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in 26 games. He is a career .246 hitter with 58 home runs and 196 RBIs in 563 games for the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-22) and Yankees, and he won a Gold Glove Award in 2021.
The Yankees previously optioned INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.
The club also announced that left-hander Carlos Rodon is set to begin his rehab assignment at Double-A Somerset.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.