ATLANTA -- The Braves regained a fresh arm in the bullpen as Jason Motte was activated from the 10-day disabled list on Friday.
Motte has been sidelined since July 14 with a back strain. He replaces fellow reliever Ian Krol, who was placed on the DL with a strained left oblique.
"I am feeling good and I am ready to get back out there to help out," Motte said.
Motte, never dealt with a back issue previously, said that he took a precautious approach to his rehab process. He allowed his back to completely rest before returning to pitching activities.
"The back is a big part of throwing and what you are doing," Motte said. "We just wanted to make sure everything was where it needed to be before we took steps forward. … It's just a process, and you got to take it one day at a time."
The process included throwing exercises from 60 and 90 feet away. Motte started to ramp his intensity last week with light bullpen sessions. He pitched in a couple rehab outings for Class A Rome and Triple-A Gwinnett.
Braves manager Brian Snitker was happy to see Motte back with the club. It is presumed that Motte will return to his role as a middle-innings reliever. The nine-year veteran has a 3.76 ERA in 31 outings this season.
"He felt good and he amped it up a little bit on Wednesday," Snitker said. "He felt great, and it is good."
Snitker noted that Krol could be shut down for a few weeks. The team wants to make sure his oblique can completely heal as the injury tends to be tricky. There is a chance Krol can return when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
"He is going to get shut down for a while and let everything cool off," Snitker said. "Hopefully we can get him back soon."