Center fielder Trent Grisham, sidelined with a left hamstring strain since mid-March, was activated from the injured list Friday and assumed his usual leadoff spot in the Padres’ lineup.

Before the Padres opened a three-game series at Texas, outfielder Brian O'Grady was optioned to the alternate training site to clear the roster spot for Grisham.

“We expect [Grisham] to be fairly sharp and be able to play his game and get on base,” Padres manager Jayce Tingler said. “He’s so dynamic. He does a lot of things for us. Hopefully, he blends right in and gets us going.”

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The return of Grisham, the National League’s Gold Glove Award winner in center field last year, is welcome for the Padres. They made a Major League-leading eight errors through seven games, and the miscues contributed to the team’s 4-3 start.

Grisham won’t cure all of San Diego’s defensive ills -- seven of those eight errors have come from infielders and the other came from a pitcher -- but he provides San Diego with a steadying force.

Last season, Grisham totaled 7 defensive runs saved en route to earning his first Gold Glove. The underlying metrics loved him, as well. Grisham ranked in the 88th percentile of outfielder jump and 98th percentile of outs above average.

With Grisham returning, the Padres’ outfield settles into its projected alignment. Tommy Pham moves from center field to left field, and Jurickson Profar will transition from left field back to a super utility role. Tingler said the team will wait and see how Grisham feels after playing a full game on the synthetic turf before making a decision on whether he’ll play Saturday.

Bullpen help on the horizon
The Padres on Friday started one of their more grueling stretches of the season: 17 games in 17 days. For the bullpen, which has been heavily taxed in the early going, reinforcements might be on the way.

Relievers Austin Adams (right elbow strain) and Dan Altavilla (right calf strain) are both with the Padres in Texas and are nearing their return, Tingler said. The right-handers could provide much-needed support.

“The main thing is we’ve got to make sure those guys are at 100%,” Tingler said. “We don’t want to force them back at 85 or 80% and running on adrenaline.”

With Adams and Altavilla projected to suit up soon, the team will have to determine who stays and who goes. That decision is all the more difficult with the bullpen having pitched so well, logging a 0.91 ERA across 29 2/3 innings in the season’s first week.

Worth noting
• Catcher Austin Nola (left middle finger fracture) will play games at the Padres’ alternate training site in Arizona, Tingler said.

“The swelling has gone down in that finger, so now it’s more a matter of just getting sharp with the rhythm and timing of the game,” Tingler said.

• The Padres plan to get several players a “DH day” during the team’s three-game series against the Rangers. Eric Hosmer was the designated hitter on Friday. Manny Machado is scheduled to be the DH on Sunday. Tingler said he has yet to choose a DH for Saturday.