ARLINGTON -- The Reds activated right-hander Raisel Iglesias from the disabled list on Tuesday and placed reliever Blake Wood on the paternity list.
Although he was Cincinnati's Opening Day starter and made five starts (1-1, 3.49 ERA) before his injury, Iglesias will be used as a reliever going forward, and he wasted no time making an impact, throwing two scoreless innings in Tuesday's 8-2 win.
The Reds made it clear prior to the game that they have no intention of using Iglesias as a long reliever to cover short starts or extras.
"But he can pitch two innings. He's done that a few times," manager Bryan Price said. "I won't be reluctant to do that as long as he's fresh."
On Tuesday, in a low-leverage situation with a six-run lead to soften his return, Iglesias used 18 pitches to finish the game for starter Anthony DeSclafani. He allowed a leadoff hit, followed by a walk, in the eighth inning before settling in.
Iglesias had last pitched on April 25 before going on the DL on May 1 with an impingement in his right shoulder. He made three rehab appearances for Double-A Pensacola, working five scoreless innings with three hits. Although his return timed perfectly with Wood's departure, Iglesias wasn't being rushed back into service.
"It's on the exact date we had expected when we initially wrote up his rehab protocol," Price said. "There's no setbacks, everything went well. He started out down in Goodyear and moved to Pensacola, did all of his rehab outings. No issues at all. So he's ready to go. It's like coming out of Spring Training. You're not going to see him out there throwing back-to-back games or three days in a row on the outset. But he will be a valuable piece [of] the bullpen."
Iglesias was a reliever for Cuba's national team before the Reds signed him in June 2014 to a seven-year contract worth $32 million. The club projected him as a starter when it signed him.
Trouble began late last season, with Iglesias shut down in mid-September with fatigue in his shoulder. He underwent a program of shoulder stretching and strengthening during the offseason.
Returning to the rotation down the road is an idea that could be revisited.
"The issues I have in my shoulder are something that I cannot control," Iglesias said. "I don't want to have this issue. I'm focused right now on getting stronger. I would like to see what happens in the future."
Worth noting:
• With Joey Votto out sick on Tuesday, regular left fielder Adam Duvall started at first base for the first time this season. That move led Price to start rookie Jose Peraza in left field, his first time there at any level professionally.
"I wanted to have my fastest outfield," Price said. "[Peraza] played a little bit of left field in Spring Training. He played center. Not that left is easy, but he'll be fine with the transition."
• According to MLB.com's Jim Callis, the Reds have agreed to terms with their fifth-round Draft pick, right-handed reliever Ryan Hendrix (Texas A&M). Hendrix will receive $413,600, just above the slot value of $410,000 for the 138th overall pick.