Royals activate Bruce Chen from 60-day DL

After he was moved to the 60-day DL over the weekend to free up a spot on the 40-man roster spot, Bruce Chen has been activated by the Kansas City Royals. Chen has been on the shelf since a disk in his back flared up nearly two months ago. 

Chen's last rehab start, with Triple-A Omaha, saw him give up just two runs and strike out 11 in 5.1 innings of work. 

When he returns, the 16-year MLB vet is expected to be used out of the bullpen in long relief situations. 

As a 36-year-old last season, Chen gave the Royals a surprisingly strong 121 innings, as a starter and a reliever, compiling a 9-4 record and a 3.27 ERA. He was less effective before going down this season, with a 1-2 record and 7.45 ERA over four starts.