LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers activated reliever Pedro Baez from the disabled list on Friday and will activate Rich Hill to start on Sunday.
To make room for Baez, the Dodgers optioned reliever Josh Fields to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Baez made three rehab appearances after recovering from a bruised right thumb suffered when it was struck by a comebacker on Feb. 22. He allowed two runs in three innings with three strikeouts on the rehab assignment.
He relieved Clayton Kershaw with one out in the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 7-1 win over the D-backs on Friday night, getting the final two outs, one via strikeout.
"The guys that have put eyes on him said the velocity is there and the stuff is really good and he can give us one-plus [inning]," manager Dave Roberts said before the game. "I'll stick him in high-leverage situations. I've got trust in Petey in game situations and we'll throw him in the fire."
Hill has been on the 10-day DL for recurring blisters on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Sunday is the first day he is eligible to be activated. He threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Thursday and he was able to play catch on Friday with no discomfort.
"He said he feels back to 100 percent," Roberts said of Hill. "We're excited."
Fields had thrown three scoreless innings in four relief outings this month for the Dodgers.
"With his usage in the past week, it just made sense for us to option him and give him two or three days of no throwing to kind of reset a little bit," said Roberts. "We'll see Josh back here real soon."
Alex Wood, who made the club as a long reliever out of Spring Training, made the one start that Hill missed. The Dodgers will have a tough decision to make to clear a roster spot for Hill.
"He understood if Rich could make the start on Sunday, that relegates [Wood] to the 'pen," Roberts said. "I think in the small sample of the season, he appreciates the value in the 'pen. He will still be relevant."