The St. Louis Cardinals finalized their roster Friday in advance of Opening Day and among the moves made was the placing of closer Jason Motte on the 15-day disabled list.

Motte, who agreed to a two-year contract in January after tying for the National League lead with 42 saves last season, is sidelined with a strained right elbow.

The hard-throwing Motte took over the closer’s role late in the 2011 season and recorded five saves during the team’s run to the World Series title.

Motte, 30, has made 282 relief appearances since breaking into the majors in 2008, going 17-13 with 54 saves and a 2.87 ERA.

The Cardinals also optioned pitcher Maikel Cleto and outfielder Adron Chambers to Triple-A Memphis and assigned catcher Rob Johnson, infielder Greg Garcia and outfielder Oscar Taveras to minor league camp.

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