49ers activate G Ben Bartch from IR

A fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2020, Bartch has struggled with injuries throughout his NFL career. He played just three games last season, though Bartch still won the summer competition to take over as San Francisco’s top left guard after Aaron Banks accepted a four-year, $77M offer from Green Bay in free agency.

Now that Bartch is back, it’s unclear whether he’ll immediately regain his starting job. Connor Colby started six games in Bartch’s absence, but Spencer Burford took the reins in a win over the Giants last week. The 49ers haven’t decided whether Bartch or Burford will start in a key game against the NFC West rival Rams on Sunday, per Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle.

To make room for Bartch, the 49ers placed defensive end Mykel Williams on IR. The first-rounder’s rookie season ended when he tore his ACL last week. To help fill his void, the 49ers elevated defensive linemen Clelin Ferrell and Sebastian Valdez from their practice squad on Saturday.

Ferrell, who signed with the 49ers in late October, made his debut with the team last week and picked up a sack. Valdez went undrafted out of Washington this year. He’s now in line to make his NFL debut on Sunday.