Tucker (left calf) activated off IL for final regular-season series

CHICAGO -- With the postseason looming, the Cubs are hopeful that Kyle Tucker can quickly regain his rhythm and make an immediate impact on their lineup. The star outfielder will have this weekend series against the Cardinals to use as a runway to the National League Wild Card Series against the Padres.

Prior to Friday afternoon's 12-1 win over St. Louis, the Cubs activated Tucker from the 10-day injured list following his nearly month-long bout with a left calf strain. Tucker returned to the lineup as the designated hitter, going 1-for-4 with a single, one walk and two runs scored for the North Siders, as he continues to work toward being back at full speed when it comes to running.

“In an ideal world, you come back and you have a lot more games and at-bats,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “Whether it’s two or three games, hopefully, he can recognize pitches well and get back in the swing of things quickly, because we’re going to face a lot of good pitching in the postseason.”

Tucker had five plate appearances in the win on Friday, scoring on a Pete Crow-Armstrong two-run homer after his fourth-inning single. Seiya Suzuki launched a grand slam with Tucker aboard in the seventh, as well, allowing him to do some jogging around the bases.

“That was nice,” Tucker said with a smile. “I could just walk around then. It was nice. If they could keep doing that a lot more, it’d be great.”

All jokes aside, Tucker was pleased with how the afternoon went.

“It was an exciting day and a good day to be back in there,” he said. “I felt good. Put some good swings on the ball. Had some good takes and everything. Overall, it was a pretty good day. I was mentally still where I was before when I was still playing.”

In order to add Tucker back to the active roster, veteran infielder Carlos Santana accepted an option to the Arizona complex, per manager Craig Counsell. By agreeing to that move, Santana can remain in the fold as an experienced depth piece for the postseason.

“He won’t be with us this weekend,” Counsell said. “But then as the playoffs start, he will rejoin us and essentially be on the taxi squad for the playoffs. He cannot be recalled until his [10] days are up, but if there’s an injury or we advance further in the playoffs, then he’ll be eligible for those rosters.”

Tucker exited Chicago's game on Sept. 2 due to the calf issue, which he noted had been bothersome for a few days prior to that setback. He attempted to return swiftly, but persistent issues with the leg necessitated a trip to the IL on Sept. 9. Tucker visited his longtime physical therapy group in Tampa last week, rejoined the Cubs on Tuesday and ramped up activity in recent days.

In 134 games this season, Tucker is now hitting .270 with 22 homers, 25 doubles, 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and an .853 OPS for the Cubs. Before landing on the IL, he hit .400 with four homers and a 1.289 OPS in his previous 11 games.

“He’s our best hitter,” Hoyer said. “The way he conducts at-bats is contagious, so I do think it’s really important to have him in there. It just lengthens our lineup and makes us better.”