"Trevor Hoffman was asked how he thought the Miller Park faithful would react when he made his debut as the Milwaukee Brewers' new closer.

"I'm sure they're tired of waiting," Hoffman joked.

Hoffman certainly was before Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Baseball's all-time leader in saves (554), the 41-year-old Hoffman signed a one-year, $6 million deal with Milwaukee after anchoring the San Diego Padres' bullpen for 16 seasons. But he suffered a strained right oblique in spring training, forcing him to start the season on the disabled list.

After patiently rehabbing - a process that culminated with two appearances with Class AAA Nashville last week - the right-handed Hoffman was finally activated Sunday, but didn't appear in the Brewers' 3-2 loss in Houston.

But, after spending the first 18 games of the season as a spectator, Hoffman made his first appearance of the season in Monday's 10-5 win over the Pirates, pitching a scoreless ninth inning in the first game of a seven-game homestand for Milwaukee."