The Cleveland Indians activated outfielder Michael Bourn from the disabled list before Tuesday’s postponed game against the Detroit Tigers and optioned outfielder Myjer Morgan to Triple-A Columbus.
A strained left hamstring kept Bourn out of the Indians’ first 13 games this season. He suffered the injury during spring training in Arizona and spent the past few weeks rehabbing the leg.
Bourn, who had hamstring surgery last season, played five minor league games — two in Triple-A and three in Double-A — to make sure he was ready. He had three hits in 20 at-bats and a stolen base.
“Confidence is everything with it,” Bourn said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “That’s the most important thing. I stole a base just to test myself out. I was able to run down the line good. It felt fine. When I was in the outfield breaking on balls, I wasn’t thinking about it.”
Morgan batted .348 (8-for-23), scored four runs and had four RBIs in nine games with the Indians. The veteran signed a minor league free-agent deal with Cleveland in January.
“It wasn’t really a tough decision,” Francona said. “It was difficult in the fact that he had done so well. I don’t think anybody thought he deserved to go to Triple-A, but when you look at the way our team is constituted, we needed to stay with the extra pitcher in the bullpen.”