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CHICAGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers activated infielder Nomar Garciaparra off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.

Garciaparra, who went on the DL on Aug. 14 with a strained left calf, did not play in Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers won 6-2.

The 2006 NL Comeback Player of the Year said that taking the past two days off from running seems to have made the difference. Garciaparra was able to jog without pain Tuesday for the first time since he went on the DL.

"It felt pretty good. That's why we activated it," Garciaparra said. "We knew in the past few days there was still swelling in there. There was still some soreness. That's why we decided to just really kind of shut it down and not really mess with it."

The six-time All-Star said he would have to be careful running the bases.

"I've got to be pretty smart coming out of the blocks," Garciaparra said. "One little false step or hard step could take me back to square one, where I was before. We don't want to take two steps backwards. We want to continue moving forward."

Manager Grady Little said he would use Garciaparra as a pinch-hitter only in a "game-breaking" situation.

"That's the way it will be until he's able to run," Little said.

Garciaparra is hitting .280 with six home runs and 57 RBIs.

The Dodgers also recalled outfielder Delwyn Young, infielder Tony Abreu, left-hander Eric Stults, right-hander Eric Hull and utility player Wilson Valdez from Triple-A Las Vegas.

Los Angeles moved left-handed pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo (left elbow inflammation) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list in order to make room for Valdez on the 40-man roster.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press