Motte placed on DL with shoulder sprain

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jason Motte has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained shoulder, two days after he had complained of irritation during an appearance.

Right-hander Fernando Salas was recalled Wednesday from Triple-A Memphis to replace Motte, also a right-hander and one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the major leagues. The 25-year-old Salas was recalled for the fifth time this season and is 0-0 with a 2.31 ERA and nine strikeouts in 11 2-3 innings.

Motte said Tuesday an MRI exam revealed no problems and had expected to be out a few days.

The Cardinals have six players on the disabled list, including pitchers Brad Penny, Kyle Lohse and Adam Ottavino, plus infielders David Freese and Tyler Greene.