CHICAGO -- The Angels activated catcher Geovany Soto from the 15-day disabled list after Tuesday night's 5-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Soto, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 18 with left knee inflammation, had been on a Minor League rehab assignment with the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees since Aug. 4, hitting .154 with a home run and three RBIs in four games.
Catcher Carlos Perez was optioned to Salt Lake following Tuesday's game.
"Well, you know, Geovany, he's a veteran presence and he knows his way around a game, " said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "He's great working with pitchers and he still swings the bat well, so we're going to be happy to get him back in our lineup. Hopefully he'll contribute and give us a little bit of a spark. He'll be playing [Wednesday]."
Soto has experienced trouble in both knees this season. The former Cubs catcher also had a DL stint in May for a torn right meniscus, which kept him out from May 18 until July 9.
Soto, who played last season for the White Sox, is hitting .284 with three home runs and right RBIs in 22 games this year for the Angels, who started Jett Bandy behind the plate in the Tuesday's game against the Cubs.
Worth noting
• Right-hander Jhoulys Chacín (3-7, 5.27 ERA) will get the first opportunity to fill the rotation spot vacated by right-hander Tim Lincecum, who was designated for assignment Saturday and assigned to Salt Lake on Tuesday. Chacin, who's been working out of the bullpen after beginning the season as a starter, has made 15 starts among his 23 appearances. Rather than waiting for Lincecum's turn in the rotation to come up Saturday in Cleveland, Chacin will start Thursday to start a series against the Indians at Progressive Field, which will give Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker and extra day of rest between starts.
• Closer Huston Street, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 2 with right knee inflammation, had a cortisone injection in the knee and could soon begin throwing again.
"He's in Arizona and he'll probably start picking up a ball here in a couple days, and hopefully it'll be a quick rebound for him," Scioscia said. "He wasn't down that long. We'll see how his knee feels. He had an injection in there, and we'll see if he'll be ready to go."
• Injured first baseman C.J. Cron is in Arizona at the Angels' complex taking soft-toss batting practice and is scheduled to progress to live batting practice this week. Cron, who's been on the disabled list since July 9, had surgery July 12 to repair a fractured bone in his left hand.
"It's going to take some time," Scioscia said.
• Right-hander Nick Tropeano will undergo Tommy John Surgery on Aug. 16 in Los Angeles. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Neal Elattrache. Tropeano was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 19 and made the decision to undergo the season-ending surgery Aug. 3. Tropeano is expected to miss all of next season, as well.