ST. LOUIS -- After passing a final round of tests that included running the bases and playing catch, Jedd Gyorko was activated from the 10-day disabled list ahead of Wednesday afternoon's series finale against the Pirates.
Gyorko had been sidelined by a left groin strain since Aug. 28, when he came up hobbling after hitting a double. Manager Mike Shildt said he would be comfortable using Gyorko in a pinch-hit spot on Wednesday and will be ready to consider him for the lineup when the Cardinals open a four-game series against the Dodgers on Thursday.

"I think the whole process went faster than I had hoped," said Gyorko, who watched the club go 7-6 during his absence. "It's a tough time to get hurt, but I feel good now. The team is playing great, and I'm ready to help them out."
Gyorko had solidified himself as the team's everyday third baseman before getting injured and was among the club's leading hitters in August. He slashed .325/.416/.519 with a .935 OPS in 24 games last month.
Norris on hip discomfort
Bud Norris has dealt with discomfort in his right hip for weeks. He felt pain the same sensation in the eighth inning of Tuesday night's 11-5 win over the Pirates, but he powered through to get three outs in 11 pitches.
"I wanted to finish and have a clean inning, because I haven't had one in a while," Norris said. "It's nagging at times, but when you're out there, you aren't trying to think about it. You just want to pitch."
While Norris hadn't tossed a scoreless inning since the Cardinals hosted the Pirates on Aug. 28, he felt his ability to pitch wasn't dependent on his hip.
"I know there is good pain and bad pain," Norris said. "When the arm feels good, I can go out there."
What bothers Norris isn't the pitching, either. He said much of the discomfort comes when jogging in or sprinting to cover first base. He's also had outings in which it doesn't bother him at all, but he's still playing it safe.
"Sometimes it loosens up, so I'm just continuing to stretch," Norris said. "So I'll be working in the bullpen to get loose."
Norris has played through lower-body injuries before, including in 2017 when he was with the Angels.
"That lingered for a while," Norris said. "I definitely pitched through that until it got too bad, so I couldn't go out there anymore."
Lower-body aches turned into arm pain when Norris was younger, he said, but not during his professional career.
"You've got to be honest with yourself," Norris said. "If it's going to hurt you somewhere else, be honest with yourself and get out of there."
Redbirds rolling
With a 10-4 win over Fresno on Tuesday, Triple-A Memphis took the early advantage in its best-of-five Pacific Coast League Championship Series.
Infielder Tommy Edman led off the game with a home run and finished 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Starter Kevin Herget allowed four runs over 5 2/3 innings before lefty Tommy Layne settled things with 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Seth Elledge, in his Triple-A debut, struck out two in a scoreless ninth.
Lefty Tyler Lyons draws the start for Memphis in Game 2 of the Championship Series, scheduled for 9:05 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The series will then shift back to Memphis as the Redbirds seek a second consecutive PCL title.