The Cincinnati Reds will activate Johnny Cueto to start against the Houston Astros on Monday night.
Cueto has been on the disabled list since June 29 with a strained right lat muscle, his third trip to the DL this season.
He went 19-9 in 2012 with a 2.78 ERA in 217 innings, and he holds a 4-2 record and 3.33 ERA in 48 2/3 innings this season.
"He appears relatively ready from what we've seen," Dusty Baker said. "We'll see what we can get out of him. It's worth a try, it's worth the effort because he's Johnny Cueto. The more we get out of him tomorrow, the more we get out of him the next time, and who knows where he's going to be ready come playoff time."