Cardinals' Steven Matz: Activated, may fill bullpen role

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The Cardinals reinstated Matz (back) from the 60-day injured list Sunday.

Matz will rejoin the big club for the first time since early May after he completed a lengthy recovery from a lower-back strain and the subsequent setback he experienced in June. He restarted his rehab assignment Aug. 1 and built up to five innings and 85 pitches over the course of six outings at Triple-A Memphis, but Matz doesn't appear as though he'll be reclaiming a spot in the St. Louis rotation in September. Miles Mikolas is starting Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, while John Denton of MLB.com relays that Andre Pallante, Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde are listed as the Cardinals' three starters for the team's upcoming series in Milwaukee. While St. Louis could expand its rotation to six men, Lance Lynn (back) is poised to make a rehab start Sunday and could be activated later this week to fill a potential opening. As such, Matz could be relegated to a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.