Relief ace Miller back with Tribe

The Cleveland Indians have top reliever Andrew Miller back at their disposal.

The left-hander was activated from the disabled list Thursday after recovering from knee tendinitis over the past three weeks, which coincided with the Indians reeling off an American League-record 21 straight wins.

Manager Terry Francona rode Miller in last year’s postseason, using him for multiple innings as the Indians won their first pennant since 1997. The 6-foot-7-inch lefty, who came over in a July trade from the Yankees, was virtually unhittable, striking out 30 in 19 1/3 innings.

■ Astros: Righthander Mike Fiers was suspended five games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing a fastball over Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Valbuena’s head in an act of retaliation.

On Wednesday, Valbuena homered to cap a five-run first inning off Fiers. The home run was Valbuena’s 20th of the season, and the ex-astros player celebrated with a big bat flip.

The next time Valbuena came up, Fiers threw a pitch at least 2 feet over his head that sailed to the backstop. Fiers later said he took Valbuena’s bat flip as “disrespect.”

In other Astros news, outfielder Jake Marisnick was diagnosed with a fractured right thumb and is expected to miss six to eight weeks after surgery Friday. He was hurt sliding into second base Wednesday.

■ Red Sox: Left-hander David Price (left elbow inflammation), who has been out since July 28, was activated from the disabled list and will be used out of the bullpen, manager John Farrell said.

Price, 32, also started this season on the disabled list. He was activated May 29 and was 5-3 with a

3.82 ERA in 11 starts this season.

The 2012 American League Cy Young

Award winner, Price has started in 259 of his 264 career regular-season appearances. He did, however, work out of the bullpen as a rookie in the 2008 postseason for Tampa Bay.

■ MLB: Major League Baseball is willing to wait two years for Shohei

Otani if the 23-year-old Japanese star decides the sport’s new labor contract limits his value to an unacceptable level.

As part of the collective bargaining agreement

MLB teams and players agreed to in November, the dividing line for international amateurs and professionals was changed from age 23 with five professional seasons to 25 with six seasons.

Because of that, Otani, the reigning Pacific League MVP, would be subject to signing bonus pools that limit bonuses.

■ Rockies: Kyle

Freeland was removed from Colorado’s starting rotation and replaced by fellow left-hander Tyler Anderson, a Spring Valley High School product, who threw four scoreless innings of relief Monday in his return from the disabled list.

■ Mariners: Righthander Felix Hernandez (right shoulder bursitis) was activated from the disabled list.