The Minnesota Twins reinstated right-hander Jorge Lopez from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday.
The club first placed Lopez on the restricted list, for mental health reasons, on June 18 before transferring him to the IL.
Lopez, 30, pitched the ninth inning for the Twins in their 9-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, allowing two hits and an earned run.
Before the win, Lopez said he spent time talking with a psychologist after he acted out in frustration during his struggles on the mound, even before being placed on the injured list, and he hoped that he would be able to return to the team quickly.
"I got off the line a little bit," Lopez said. "I recognized that. Good thing I got some help, and like I said, I really appreciate what the team's been doing, what the staff's been doing. I couldn't be more thankful for it. They just want me to be there and be good. That's all I want to do, and that's what I'm trying to pay back to them. So hopefully, we kind of stay concentrated, execute all the pitches, and I'm ready to roll."
Lopez had been pitching on the side during his time on the IL and returns without a rehab assignment.
"I'm excited. I'm really pumped," he said. "These 15 days, they were something really good for me, to take advantage to be here today and be back to where I want to be. I'm just glad to be back with the team."
Lopez became the fourth major leaguer this season to be placed on the IL for mental health reasons following Colorado's Daniel Bard, Detroit's Austin Meadows and Oakland's Trevor May.
In eight seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers (2015, 2017-18), Kansas City Royals (2018-20), Baltimore Orioles (2020-22) and Twins, Lopez is 18-40 with a 5.42 ERA and 27 saves in 198 games (58 starts).
In a move corresponding to his return, the Twins optioned left-hander Brent Headrick to Triple-A St. Paul.
Headrick has made eight appearances across two stints with the Twins this season, going 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA and one save.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
