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Cards activate Pham, option him to Triple-A

Adams moved to 60-day disabled list to make room on 40-man roster

LOS ANGELES -- Nearly three months after a quad injury derailed his chances at winning a spot on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster, outfielder Tommy Pham is ready to return to the field.

The Cardinals activated Pham from the 60-day disabled list on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A, where he will fit into the outfield mix along with Stephen Piscotty, Mike O'Neill and Rafael Ortega. Pham hit .324/.395/.481 over 104 games with Triple-A Memphis last season before finishing the year as a September call-up in St. Louis.

In order to clear a spot for Pham on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals transferred first baseman Matt Adams to the 60-day DL. Adams suffered a more serious quad strain in late May that could cost him the rest of the season.

Pham hurt his quad while chasing down a ball in left field in a March 13 exhibition game. At the time, the Cardinals expected Pham to return to the field within a few days. But he made little progress and eventually requested a second opinion after feeling continued tightness when he played in a Minor League spring game late in camp. He opened the year on the DL.

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB, like her Facebook page Jenifer Langosch for Cardinals.com and listen to her podcast.
Read More: St. Louis Cardinals, Matt Adams, Tommy Pham