Jeffress 'pumped' to be activated 

MILWAUKEE -- He waited this long. Jeremy Jeffress could wait one more day.

The Brewers activated the right-hander from the injured list for Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals, then will ease him toward the late-inning, high-leverage relief role he filled a season ago. Jeffress led the team with 73 appearances in the regular season last year, during which he put up a 1.29 ERA. Pitcher Freddy Peralta (right shoulder) was placed on the injured list.

He missed the start of this season because his shoulder didn’t respond at the start of Spring Training, but Jeffress reported feeling healthy and strong upon reporting to Miller Park on Monday.

“Just the feeling of walking into the stadium electrifies me a little bit,” he said. “I’m pumped. I’m glad to be back.”

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said the Brewers opted to wait a day so Jeffress would be fully rested for his return to Major League duty. His last Minor League tuneup was Saturday, when Jeffress surrendered his third home run in 4 1/3 total innings on rehab assignment for Triple-A San Antonio.

“I think what we’re encouraged by is that from the day that we took him off the mound in Arizona, we’ve had all good days,” Counsell said. “We feel like we’ve been building up. The results weren’t good in Triple-A, [but] I think there’s some reasons to look past that. He’s healthy and he’s performed at a level here that we think it’ll show up when we put him on a big league mound.”

As for what role Jeffress will fill, Counsell said, “We’re going to have to work Jeremy to where we got him last year. We’re not going to start out there. … We’ll get Jeremy out here and get his feet wet, so to speak, before we put him in the spots we saw him in last year.”

Jeffress indicated he was on board with that plan. The box scores notwithstanding, he said he accomplished what he needed to get out of his stint in Triple-A.

“I was worried about some of the delivery stuff, strength stuff, the shoulder bouncing back from day to day,” Jeffress said. “Once you get under them lights, it’s a different story. You see it a lot of times -- I love high-pressure moments.”

Last call

• Jimmy Nelson pitched four simulated innings in Arizona on Monday and it "went well," according to Counsell. Nelson will pitch one more controlled game at Brewers Fields of Phoenix before the Brewers consider whether to assign him to a Minor League affiliate, most likely Triple-A San Antonio.

“The next step is a big one,” Counsell said.

• Ryan Braun was out of the starting lineup for a second straight game Monday, but Counsell said there was no cause for concern. Braun didn’t play Sunday in Los Angeles because his balky back was acting up. As for Monday against the Cardinals, it was a matchup decision -- left-handed hitters entered the day with a 1.405 OPS this season against Cardinals starter Dakota Hudson.