The Reds activated Burns (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Burns wound up missing a month of action with a Grade 1 right flexor strain. He did not go out on a rehab assignment, and the Reds' plan is to deploy the rookie flamethrower as a reliever down the stretch. While Burns is likely to be quite successful in a relief role, he will not be used as the team's closer, so it will be difficult for him to churn out much fantasy value in the final weeks.