CHICAGO -- Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole expressed confidence hell return this season after returning to the team and playing catch Tuesday.Cole was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday and traveled to Los Angeles for a second opinion with a specialist, who confirmed posterior elbow inflammation.This is very encouraging news, Pirates trainer Todd Tomczyk said. He is now focused on how he is going to help this team win some ballgames the rest of the season.Cole, 7-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 20 starts, played catch in right field with Tomczyk before Tuesdays 3-0 loss to the Cubs as pitching coach Ray Searage looked on.Its comforting to have confirmation that youll be OK, Cole said.Cole is on the DL retroactive to last Thursday, meaning he is eligible to return Sept. 9.?Cole had a 6.08 ERA in five August starts and said he alerted the team of a level of discomfort that was concerning after allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings last Wednesday against Houston.Tomczyk said its uncertain how Cole was injured. He missed time in spring training with sore ribs and spent more than a month on the disabled list earlier this season with a strained right triceps.That is an ongoing discussion. He did have a slow start to the season with the rib injury, Tomczyk said. That could be a factor. And theres the assumed risk of throwing a baseball.Coles absence means all five starters from the beginning of the season are no longer in Pittsburghs rotation. Yet the Pirates remain in the thick of the playoff race, trailing?St. Louis?by two games for the second NL wild card.?Its like coming back from a road trip and your wife has rearranged the furniture, manager Clint Hurdle said. After you bump your shin a couple times, youve got to find a different way to cross the living room.Weve had to find a different way to get across the room this year. And its been a really good opportunity to learn.Also on Tuesday, the Pirates recalled infielder Alen Hanson and selected left-hander Kelvin Marte from Triple-A Indianapolis.To make room on the active roster Tuesday, right-hander Jameson Taillon and left-hander Steven Brault were optioned to Class A Bristol in the Appalachian League.To make room on the 40-man roster for Marte, left-hander Kyle Lobstein was designated for assignment.This will be Hansons second stint with the Pirates this season. He singled off Atlantas Bud Norris for his first major league hit on May 17 before being optioned back to Indianapolis two days later.In 110 Triple-A games this season, Hanson has batted .266 with 15 doubles, seven triples, eight home runs, 32 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.The 28-year-old Marte has no major league experience. In 34 appearances with Indianapolis, Marte is 4-3 with two saves and a 3.67 ERA. He made his last three appearances as a starter, going 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.? Cheap Jordan 1 . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Air Jordan 1 For Sale . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. http://www.cheapairjordan1.com/ . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Cheap Air Jordan 1 China .4 million title. Ryan Riess emerged with the title after a session in which he started behind, but used expert skill to gather the chips to his side amid the unpredictability of no-limit Texas Hold em. Riess put his final opponent Jay Farber all-in with an Ace-King. Wholesale Air Jordan 1 China . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No. Friday, Ryen Russillo and Amin Elhassan host from Bristol, Connecticut. They will welcome SEC Networks Booger McFarland (3 p.m. ET) and ESPN NBA Insider Marc Stein (TBD).Todays main topics:? NBA free agency? CFB storylinesText us at 73776 (msg&data rates may applyy) or tweet us at twitter.ddddddddddddcom/RussilloShow -- well be with you from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET on ESPN Radio and ESPNRadio.com. ' ' '