Cards fit in rehab outing for Motte

ST. LOUIS -- One day after manager Mike Matheny said there would not be enough time to get rehabbing righty Jason Motte out on an assignment before the Minor League season ended, the Cardinals announced that Motte had joined the club's Double-A affiliate to make an appearance on Sunday.

Motte's temporary addition to the Springfield roster gives the Cardinals even more reason to pay attention to that Double-A game under the lights on Sunday. Michael Wacha, who is recovering from a right shoulder stress reaction, is scheduled to start the game and will throw 30-40 pitches in his first game action since June 17. Motte will come in at some point behind him.

Motte, who has been on the disabled list with a lower back strain for nearly a month, threw off the mound three times in preparation for this next step. If the Cardinals determine that Motte needs only the one rehab appearance, he could be activated as early as Monday.

"He's going to go down and hopefully get a feel how it's coming out when he gets on the mound," Matheny said. "He needs to throw and get ready to be healthy and come back here and help us."

The Cardinals will wait to announce Wacha's next move until after his outing on Sunday. With Triple-A Memphis advancing to the Pacific Coast League playoffs, the club does have the option of sending the right-hander to Memphis for a second rehab appearance later in the week.