The St. Louis Cardinals activated pitcher Jason Motte from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.
Motte last pitched for the Cardinals during the 2012 postseason before undergoing Tommy John surgery last May, causing the right-hander to miss the entire 2013 season.
During a rehab stint in preparation for his return, Motte made six combined appearances with Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis and did not allow a run while fanning five over 6 2/3 innings.
The 31-year-old Motte finished the 2012 regular season tied for the National League lead with 42 saves. He owns a 17-13 record with a 2.87 earned run average and 54 saves in 282 career games, all with the Cardinals.
St. Louis optioned pitcher Sam Freeman to Triple-A Memphis following Sunday's game to make room for Motte on the roster. Freeman struck out two in a scoreless inning of work in his only appearance with the Cardinals this season.
[SportsNetwork.com]
