Brewers activate Joe Ross from the injured list as he returns after missing more than 2 months

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers right-hander Joe Ross returned to the mound Tuesday after missing more than two months with a lower back injury.

Ross (2-5) started Milwaukee’s 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves and allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked two.

“I felt good physically, so that’s great,” said Ross, who allowed five straight batters to reach base during the Braves’ four-run third. “Just kind of that one inning, I was missing some balls over the middle of the plate.”

Ross pitched two scoreless innings before the Braves got to him in the third. He also gave up a homer to Jarred Kelenic in the fourth.

“The ball came out really good,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “He’s obviously healthy. That was a good feeling. I saw a couple of 96s (mph). I think the ball had some life early. Those first two innings looked fantastic. I think the Atlanta Braves had a tremendous approach against him. They shot the ball the other way. Really nice approach.”

The 31-year-old Ross had pitched in nine games for the Brewers this season before going on the injured list. Those marked his first major league appearances since August 2021.

Ross left a May 20 start against the Miami Marlins after the first inning because of a lower back strain, and he went on the injured list the next day.

Ross had his second Tommy John surgery in June 2022, five years after he underwent the procedure for the first time. He came back from surgery to pitch in the San Francisco Giants’ minor league system last season.

The Brewers signed Ross to a one-year, $1.75 million contract in the offseason.