“I woke up and I was hurting. I woke up thinking, ‘I’m done,’” Gregerson said Saturday, sitting in the visitors’ clubhouse at Wrigley Field. “If I can’t bounce back after one inning, I can’t do this. Physically, mentally, emotionally, I thought it was pretty close.”
Gregerson, 34, rejoined the Cardinals’ active roster Saturday for the first time since July 25. He used 11 appearances on a rehab assignment and a round of live batting practice Wednesday against teammates to convince the team that he was healthy and ready for a role in the bullpen. The Cardinals elected to add Gregerson as an eighth reliever and subtract from the bench, sending outfielder Tyler O’Neill to Class AAA Memphis for regular at-bats as a starter.