CHICAGO -- Cubs manager Joe Maddon quipped over the weekend that getting Pedro Strop back would be like receiving a Christmas gift in June. The present officially arrived to Chicago's bullpen on Tuesday.

Prior to the Cubs' game against the Rockies, the team activated Strop from the 10-day injured list, following his bout with a left hamstring injury. And Strop promptly recorded his fifth save of the season, inducing a trio of groundouts in a perfect ninth to seal Chicago's 6-3 victory.

In order to clear a spot on the active roster, Chicago optioned right-hander Dillon Maples to Triple-A Iowa.

"It feels good. It feels amazing just knowing that you're going to be able to help the team," Strop said before the game. "I feel 100 percent. I feel good. Obviously, I felt good before they made the decision to send me down and pitch [on a Minor League rehab assignment]. We just wanted to make sure that my [hamstring] was right. That's what we did. Three outings down there and everything went good."

Strop's presence helps lengthen a bullpen that has been used in mix-and-match fashion by Maddon over the past month. While the manager has been careful not to apply the "closer" label on Strop, the right-hander is the primary option for save situations. That allows Maddon to bump relievers like Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler, Brad Brach and Carl Edwards Jr. back to setup-type roles.

"I don't know what Joe plans in this case," Strop said. "I'm just so excited to get back. Whatever situation he wants me to come in the game, I'll be so happy. Like I always say, our bullpen is a bunch of guys that has done that [closing] role before. We've got great arms back there. We've got experience back there, too."

Strop, who was slowed by a right hamstring issue during Spring Training, tweaked his left leg in an outing against the Marlins on May 6. He walked three and gave up three runs without recording an out, and he was placed on the 10-day IL two days later. Strop has a 5.06 ERA in 12 appearances on the season, but had a 2.53 ERA prior to the injury-marred showing against Miami.

Strop made three Minor League rehab appearances with Triple-A Iowa (three shutout innings) prior to being activated.

Heading into Tuesday's series opener against Colorado, the Cubs had the best ground-ball rate (47.8 percent) and third-lowest ERA (4.06) among National League bullpens. The relief corps was in the middle of the pack in strikeout rate (23.1 percent, 10th in NL) and last in walk rate (12.3 percent). The mixed results and constant traffic continue to fuel fans' desire to have the Cubs pursue free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel.

According to a recent report by MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs are doing their due diligence on Kimbrel, who no longer has Draft pick compensation attached to his signing. Part of the equation could be the uncertainty surrounding veteran Ben Zobrist, who is on the restricted list with no timetable for return. It is possible that Chicago could reallocate salary intended for Zobrist for a trade or signing to help the bullpen.

Worth noting

• In seven appearances for the Cubs this season, Maples turned in 5 2/3 shutout innings with only one hit allowed. Within that showing, the hard-throwing righty amassed 10 strikeouts, but also issued nine walks. Maddon said his message to Maples on the pitcher's way back to Triple-A was that the righty could be on the cusp of being a fixture in Chicago's bullpen.

"I told him that, 'I want this to be the last time I have this conversation with you,'" Maddon said. "'You're good enough to stay here and be really effective and impactful.' I wanted him to leave here knowing how much we thought about him in a positive way. And really, he's been this big arm, reputation of 97-mph fastball, really good slider. OK, good. Now, go pitch. Don't just throw. Let's go pitch. Let's morph into this guy that knows where the ball's going most of the time, like most big league pitchers do.

"And when he does, he's not leaving. He'll have a nice little locker stall out there for a long period of time. His stuff is that good. Impactfully some of the best stuff you're going to see in the National League, and probably both leagues. So, I wanted to impress upon him, this is the last time that I want to have that conversation with him, that you're going back down."

• The addition of outfielder Carlos Gonzalez gives the Cubs an additional bat to counter right-handed pitching. That could mean a drop-off in playing time for outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who will be often spelled in center by Jason Heyward in games that Gonzalez plays right. This season, though, Almora has actually hit better against righties (.277/.328/.479 in 132 plate appearances) than lefties (.200/.231/.340 in 52 PAs).

"That's the proverbial small sample size," Maddon said. "Albert's done a lot better, though, against righties. He's really refined his approach there. I think he's become a lot more patient. He's chased less. He's hit some homers right-on-right also. He's done a nice job of reinventing himself on the right side -- no question. But, regardless of what that says, I still know that he hits lefties really well. I still believe that. So now that Carlos is here, we'll balance it out. There's still going to be some righties that I like Albert against, too."