BALTIMORE -- The Rockies placed right-hander Jason Motte on the 15-day disabled list with a right rotator cuff strain and reinstated lefty Chris Rusin (left shoulder strain) from the DL before Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Orioles.
Motte, who started the season on the DL with a right shoulder strain and didn't make his debut until May 25, pitched a clean inning on Monday. But when Motte came out of the game, trainer Keith Dugger asked him if he felt OK because something looked off.
While Motte felt fine, he said he began to feel it while doing his arm work after the game. After completing treatment on Tuesday and Wednesday, he attempted to play catch before Wednesday's game.
"It didn't really feel great," Motte said.
Motte said the injury is different than his shoulder injury earlier in the year but similar to how he felt last season. Motte didn't pitch after Aug. 23 last year.
The 34-year-old, who has a 5.66 ERA in 20 2/3 innings this season, isn't sure how long he will be out with this injury.
"Going to take some time and figure out what we need to do to get it better," Motte said.
Colorado will have Rusin back for the first time since he was placed on the DL on June 14. Rusin, who is 2-4 with a 4.12 ERA in 12 games (seven starts), made three starts for Triple-A Albuquerque during his rehab stint.
Manager Walt Weiss plans to use Rusin as a long reliever initially, but Weiss praised him for his ability to perform in many roles.
"He's a guy to give us length," Weiss said. "Left-handed, which is a bit of a luxury for us. He's very versatile. That's where a lot of his value is. He's so versatile. He adapts very well."