Jason Motte’s comeback from Tommy John surgery is nearly complete, as the one-time Cardinals closer is finished with his minor-league rehab assignment and scheduled to rejoin the active roster Tuesday.
Motte won’t have his old closer gig waiting for him when he returns because Trevor Rosenthal isn’t giving that back anytime soon, but if healthy he could make a huge impact in a setup role. He missed the entire 2013 season, but Motte led the league with 42 saves in 2012 and combined from 2010-2012 he threw 192 innings with a 2.43 ERA and 203 strikeouts.
Expecting him to pick up right where he left off would be wishful thinking, but Motte tossed 6.2 scoreless innings on his rehab assignment and reports of his velocity have been fairly positive.