PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks' taxed bullpen received a much-needed boost Wednesday when right-hander Brandon Medders was activated off the disabled list.

Medders, who was 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA in 27 games last year, pulled some muscles in his back the day before Spring Training started, which forced him to start the year on the DL.

The 26-year-old made five injury rehab appearances for Triple-A Tucson and was 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA and nine strikeouts in six innings. Reliever Casey Daigle was optioned to Tucson to make room for Medders.

"Healthwise, I feel awesome," he said. "It's great to be back. All I wanted to do was face a lot of hitters before I came up and faced big-league hitters. I kind of used that time [in Tucson] as Spring Training for me because I missed Spring Training."

Arizona's bullpen has been used heavily so far this year with the starters struggling to get out of the sixth inning. It was further depleted Tuesday night when starter Russ Ortiz was forced from the game in the third inning with a muscle cramp in his right calf.

In addition, reliever Greg Aquino had been unavailable for three games with what he said was "tightness" behind his right shoulder.

"It feels a little better," Aquino said. "I think it's good now."

"I'm ready to go for tonight," Medders said.

What a relief that is.

Giving back: One day after he collected his historic 500th double, Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez announced that he will auction off the bat and batting gloves he used for the hit, with the proceeds going to benefit a local police officer who was injured in the line of duty.

Next Monday during the Diamondbacks Foundation Auction, fans will be able to bid on the bat and autographed batting gloves along with a chance to watch an upcoming Diamondbacks game in Gonzalez's family suite. The National Baseball Hall of Fame requested that the jersey he wore for that game be sent to Cooperstown, N.Y.

The money raised from the package will benefit Peoria, Ariz., police officer Bill Weigt, who was shot in the line of duty on Dec. 16, 2005 and is still recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest that has left him paralyzed from the chest down. Gonzalez and Weigt have become close during the officer's rehabilitation.

Fans can bid on the package during the charitable auction online at diamondbacks.com from 6 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. MST on Monday. There will also be eight other unique packages, and the money raised from them will go to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation.

Speaking of Gonzo: In a touching pregame ceremony, the Diamondbacks organization and Gonzalez's teammates presented him with a glass case that included the playing cards of all 21 members of the 300 homer/500 double club, along with second base from Tuesday night.

The club also showed a video tribute to Gonzalez's career on the JumboTron.

Feeling better: Ortiz said his right leg felt better Wednesday and he will throw his regularly scheduled bullpen session Thursday.

"I'll see how it is then," Ortiz said. "I should know more after that. But right now it feels better."

Sitting: Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin elected to play Jeff DaVanon in right field instead of Shawn Green, who has shown signs recently of shaking off a sluggish start.

Green has collected two hits in each of the past three games.

"He's got good numbers [against Thursday's San Francisco starter Jamey Wright] and he always wants to play and is going to play in L.A., so this was kind of the day," Melvin said. "He's strung some good at-bats together."

DaVanon has also been hot of late, hitting safely in six of his last seven games coming into Wednesday, and he also carried a .440 average as a starter into the game. He cracked his first homer of the year in the fourth inning.

"You're going to play the hot hand at times when he's doing what he's doing right now," Melvin said of DaVanon. "He's getting as good of at-bats as anybody we have here. We want to play that hot hand."

Up next: The Diamondbacks finish up the four-game series with the Giants on Thursday with a 6:40 p.m. MST start.

Arizona starter Claudio Vargas will look to rebound from a tough outing last week against the Astros when he gave up eight hits and five runs in 3 1/3 innings.