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The Arizona Diamondbacks hoped to have A.J. Pollock back before the All-Star break. The center fielder’s thumb was in good shape Parris Campbell Jersey , but he wanted to get his legs under him before returning.

Pollock came back earlier than expected, coming off the 10-day disabled list on Monday and putting a key bat back in Arizona’s lineup as it tries to hold onto the NL West lead.

Pollock was slated to hit fourth against St. Louis in his first game back since breaking his left thumb while diving for a ball in the outfield against Milwaukee on May 14.

”I’m thankful that the guys here trusted me and allowed me to play a couple games and get back,” Pollock said.

Pollock got off to a strong start this season, hitting.293 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in 40 games before the injury. Arizona’s division lead, once at six games with Pollock in the lineup, was down to 2 1/2 over the Los Angeles Dodgers after a three-game sweep by the San Francisco Giants over the weekend.

”Swing feels good Bobby Okereke Jersey , everything feels good,” Pollock said.

Arizona also purchased the contract of right-hander Joey Krehbiel from Triple-A Reno and released right-hander Troy Scribner. Right-hander Silvino Bracho and utilityman Christian Walker were optioned to Reno.

The 25-year-old Krehbiel went 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 29 games with the Aces. He is looking for his big league debut.

Bracho went 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in five stints with the Diamondbacks this season.

Walker hit .208 with a homer and two RBIs over four stints with Arizona.

Asked how the Atlanta Braves have surprised many experts by establishing a three-game lead in the National League East at the season’s halfway point, catcher Kurt Suzuki didn’t hesitate.

“This team has no fear,” he said Saturday night after an 11-4 victory in St. Louis. “We have a lot of young guys but we also have some veterans. We approach every game the same way.”

Atlanta’s consistency has been too much for the Cardinals this weekend. Behind solid starting pitching and an explosive offense, the Braves (47-34) have outscored St. Louis 16-5 in winning the series’ first two games. They go for a sweep on Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Right-hander Mike Foltynewicz (5-4, 2.14 ERA) will try to match what Julio Teheran and Max Fried have done in the series. Neither allowed a run in a combined 12 2/3 innings Khari Willis Jersey , with Fried enjoying the best outing of his short big league career Saturday night.

The former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres allowed only four hits and three walks in 6 2/3 innings, recording 11 strikeouts against the whiff-prone Cardinals. The hard-throwing Foltynewicz made his return from the 10-day disabled list Monday night, allowing one hit and one run in five innings while walking four and fanning four against Cincinnati in a no-decision.

“The arm was just kind of heavy,” he said to mlb.com. “You can’t really practice these situations when you’re out there with your adrenaline running, but just a couple of times I just couldn’t really extend too far. But adrenaline pushed me through.”

Foltynewicz has faced St. Louis three times in his career, going 1-2 with a 9.95 ERA and yielding a whopping 22 hits over 12 2/3 innings.

In an attempt to avoid a fourth straight loss Josh Allen Jersey , the Cardinals (42-39) will turn to former Atlanta prospect John Gant (2-2, 3.48). Gant, replacing the disabled Michael Wacha in the rotation, pitched the best game of his career Monday night, limiting Cleveland to an infield single by Yan Gomes over seven innings in a 5-0 victory.

Gant walked five and fanned four, but his off-speed pitches kept the Indians off-balance all game and enabled him to post his first win as a starter.

“We’re lucky the third base bag got in the way of Gomes’ (grounder) or we wouldn’t have had anything Jawaan Taylor Jersey ,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said to mlb.com of Gant’s performance.

Before plating four runs in the ninth inning Saturday night, St. Louis managed two runs in its previous 26 innings. Its offense has been primarily singles and homers, as it’s on pace for the fewest doubles and triples in the majors.

Help may be on the way when the Cardinals start a nine-game road trip Monday night against Arizona. Shortstop Paul DeJong may be activated off the disabled list after a weekend rehab stint for Triple-A Memphis.

That could result in the move of first baseman Jose Martinez, who’s on a 100-RBI pace but has been poor afield, to his natural outfield position. In fact, Martinez played the last three innings Saturday night in right field.

“Jose Martinez has earned a spot in the lineup every day Josh Oliver Jersey , so we have to figure out a spot to play him,” general manager Michael Girsch said to mlb.com.