HOUSTON -- Third baseman Troy Glaus was back in the lineup Tuesday night after receiving a cortisone shot in his left knee.

Glaus, who strained a tendon behind the left knee, sat out Sunday's game and also rested Monday, which was an off day for the club. He took early batting practice Tuesday and pronounced himself ready to play.

"We were trying to make it feel better and it does feel better as we sit right here," he said in the clubhouse. "We'll get out, run around and test it a little bit."

The discomfort comes when Glaus extends the knee, so he mainly feels it when he decelerates while running. It wasn't enough to keep him out of the lineup, but the club wanted to see if the shot and two straight days off would help him to feel better.

"I think we're going with, 'Look it, it will feel better or it won't,'" Glaus said. "It's not going to be any worse. It's a little freak thing. A little hyperextension."

Glaus came into Tuesday's game tied for the National League lead in homers (11) and tied for second in RBIs (29).

Handle with care: Arizona closer Brandon Lyon has not pitched since tossing an inning Thursday in Denver, but D-Backs manager Bob Melvin said the right-hander was likely available to pitch Tuesday.

Melvin wanted to give Lyon a few days off after he experienced some discomfort in his elbow. The Diamondbacks have worked Lyon hard this year: He's made 18 appearances and is tied for the NL lead in saves (13).

"We really want to make sure we don't tax him too much," Melvin said. "That's why I gave him all those days off. You're going to be sore in spots from time to time. He just had a little tiny something that he probably could have pitched with, but I just wanted to make sure that we get this out of the way because he's not a guy that I want to mess with."

The Diamondbacks want to tread carefully with Lyon, given the fact that he did not pitch in a Major League game last year after undergoing nerve transposition surgery last spring.

Lyon has thrown three straight days on three different occasions this year -- something that probably won't happen much more.

"I don't want [him] to do three days in a row too often," Melvin said.

Speaking of closing: Should Lyon be unavailable to close on a given night, look for the save opportunity to be handled by Brian Bruney.

That could change if Jose Valverde begins to find his rhythm. Valverde started the season on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis.

"Until Valverde gets quite a few games under his belt and we feel like he's in midseason form, I'll probably stay away from him [as closer]," Melvin said.

Lefty Javier Lopez and righty Mike Koplove will be used to match up later in games while Lance Cormier is a pitcher Melvin can use for two or more innings at a time.

Gripping it: Bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock noticed a flaw in the way Valverde was gripping the ball and the adjustment could help him to command his pitches better.

"That was a big pickup by Sherls," pitching coach Mark Davis said. "All those things over the course of a season help. His last game, I felt like he threw the ball well and used his breaking stuff."

On deck: The Diamondbacks and Astros hook up in the second game of this three-game set Wednesday night.

Russ Ortiz will get the start for the Diamondbacks. The right-hander picked up the win Thursday against the Rockies at Coors Field. Ortiz allowed two runs on eight hits over six innings in a game the D-Backs won, 6-3.

Control has been an issue for Ortiz this year as he has allowed 22 walks while striking out 21.