HOUSTON -- The Astros welcomed All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker back to their starting lineup for Friday’s series-opening 8-0 win over the Diamondbacks at Minute Maid Park, marking his first game action since he fractured his right shin on a foul ball on June 3.

Tucker, who didn’t have a Minor League rehab assignment, batted fourth and started at designated hitter against Arizona. To make room on the roster, infielder Zach Dezenzo was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, while left-hander Parker Mushinski was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man.

"He is overly excited,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He’s happy to be back in the lineup. We all are happy to have him back in the lineup. The extra energy [he brings] to the club, the extra bat in there, everyone is excited to have him back.”

Espada said the Astros will have to monitor Tucker’s playing time closely the remainder of the season, meaning he won’t play every day. Tucker is running at about 75-80 percent intensity, Espada said.

"Day to day, we’ll see how he feels,” Espada said. “It’s not going [to be] pencil him in [for] days in a row. We just have to wait and see how he feels."

Despite playing only 60 games, Tucker earned his third All-Star selection this season on the strength of a terrific start: a .266/.395/.584 slash line with 19 home runs, 40 RBIs and 10 steals. Houston was 27-34 and seven games out of first place at the time of Tucker's injury, but it entered Friday with a 4 1/2-game lead over Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Tucker revealed Monday that a small fracture was found in his shin, which comes as no surprise considering he's been sidelined for three months. The injury had been called a shin contusion following the initial imaging and testing.