PITTSBURGH -- The defensive savant has returned.

The Pirates activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes on Tuesday prior to their 6-1 loss to the Braves at PNC Park, and to make room for Hayes, Pittsburgh optioned infielder Kevin Padlo to Triple-A Indianapolis. Following 10 days on the shelf, Hayes was happy to return to the fold.

“Any time you're over there on the [injured list] and you're watching your team go to battle each and every night, you want to be out there to try to help do your part to help get wins,” Hayes said. “So [I’m] just looking forward to being back and not trying to do too much, just try to be me, and hopefully I can help us get some wins.”

Hayes’ mid-back muscle strain cropped up prior to the Pirates’ final game against the D-backs in Arizona on Aug. 11. He said that he felt discomfort during the morning but tried to play through the ailment. That pain didn’t immediately subside.

“After playing through whatever it was -- I don't know exactly what it was -- that next day after that plane ride and whenever I woke up, it felt terrible,” Hayes said. “I'm not sure what may have caused it. Could have been the long plane ride before, playing on the turf, I don't know 100 percent. Just glad to be feeling better now.”

Hayes didn’t play during the Pirates’ ensuing three-game series against the Giants in San Francisco, and they placed him on the injured list on Aug. 16 (retroactive to Aug. 13). Still, the team expressed optimism that his stint on the IL would last the minimum 10 days.

Hayes didn’t participate in any baseball activities for about a week, but he went through a full workout Saturday that consisted of fielding, hitting and running.

“I talked to him like two days ago during the game. He came up in the first inning and just the look on his face, the smile on his face, I knew we were in a good spot,” manager Derek Shelton said. “That was really encouraging. And then he went through yesterday with no issues. … It’s a credit to our training group to get him back in this short amount of time.”

Simply from a production standpoint, Hayes' return is undeniably important. Leading into Tuesday, Hayes was tied with the Cardinals' Nolan Arenado and the Guardians' Steven Kwan for the MLB lead in defensive runs saved (16). But Shelton also highlighted how the young third basemen’s presence in the lineup can positively affect the Bucs' rookies.

“When you have as many young players as we do, being able to lengthen your lineup out takes a little bit more pressure off of where they’re at in being able to give them opportunities,” Shelton said. “It’s really important to have him back in our lineup in all facets of the game.”

Shelton said the team will be mindful of how many games Hayes plays consecutively, at least initially, to ensure that nothing flares up. Shelton added that he and bench coach Don Kelly have discussed inserting Hayes, on occasion, at designated hitter.

With Hayes returning to the fray, Rodolfo Castro stands to lose some playing time. Castro primarily filled in at third base during Hayes’ absence, and the 23-year-old rookie maximized the opportunity.

As Hayes missed 10 games while recovering, Castro went 13-for-38 (.342) with two home runs, a triple, two doubles and two stolen bases. He made eight starts at the hot corner, along with two starts at second base, playing rock solid defense at both positions.

“He’ll pop back to third if we give [Hayes] a DH day or an off-day,” Shelton said. “Rudy’s done a nice job at both spots defensively.”