Scott Spiezio officially returned to the Cardinals on Friday minus his red-tinted soul patch and, more important, absent a need to live in shadows. The Cardinals activated Spiezio from Major League Baseball's restricted list before inserting him into the starting lineup at third base against the Chicago Cubs, a show of normalcy for the switch-hitting utility player who left the club Aug. 9 to seek treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. "I wasn't in a good place. ... But it could have been a lot worse if I would have let it keep going. Then it could have been really bad. I could've lost my career. I could've lost family and friends," Spiezio said. Spiezio submitted to a month-long outpatient program before receiving clearance to return. He admitted Friday to dealing with his problem for "six or seven months" before admitting to the club that he required assistance.