Arizona Diamondbacks officially activated Lourdes Gurriel Jr. from the injured list Saturday, less than eight months after he tore the ACL in his right knee last September. Gurriel sustained the injury avoiding a collision at Chase Field. His return comes swiftly, as he slots immediately into the lineup.

Managerial decisions placed Gurriel straight into the heart of the order, batting cleanup and starting in left field for the contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 32-year-old Cuban native posted solid numbers last year, recording .280 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs across 129 games played.

His recovery involved no Cactus League games this spring, though he managed drills and batting practice before two brief stints in Double-A Amarillo earlier this week. Gurriel admitted the mental aspect was the most difficult part of the rehabilitation process. To clear space for the outfielder, the D-backs designated first baseman Luken Baker for assignment.

Gurriel's successful activation provides a major boost to the D-backs' offensive depth much sooner than many anticipated following a significant knee injury. His career batting average stands at .274 over eight major league seasons.