Perkins allowed one run on one hit with no walks or strikeouts over two innings to notch a save against the Mariners on Wednesday.

Perkins entered in the eighth inning and retired the side in order in that frame. He served up a solo homer to Randy Arozarena in the ninth but didn't give up any additional hits and finished off the win to record his third save. Perkins has been quite effective for the A's since making his big-league debut June 22, posting a 2.75 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 19:7 K:BB over 19.2 innings spanning eight appearances. Interestingly, manager Mark Kotsay said after Wednesday's contest that closer Mason Miller was unavailable, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com, despite not dealing with an injury and not having pitched since July 26. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Athletics and Padres are in discussions on a trade for Miller, and if the fireballing reliever were to be dealt, Perkins could be a candidate to ascend to the closer role.

Garcia earned a save against the Angels on Wednesday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning of work.

It was a relatively stress-free save opportunity for Garcia, who entered for the ninth with the Rangers up by three runs. He needed just 10 pitches (nine strikes) to retire the side in order, beginning and ending his outing with punchouts. Garcia has strengthened his hold on Texas' closer role since the All-Star break, recording all three of the team's saves in the second half. He's not the flashiest closer in the game, but he's largely gotten the job done this season, registering nine saves in 12 chances with 11 holds, a 2.61 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 46:16 K:BB over 41.1 innings.

The Red Sox acquired Matz from the Cardinals on Wednesday in exchange for infielder Blaze Jordan, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

After sending closer Ryan Helsley to the Mets earlier Wednesday, the Cardinals will continue unloading pieces from their bullpen by sending Matz to the Red Sox. Matz, 34, has been effective while making all but two of his 32 appearances in relief this season, logging a 3.44 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 55 innings. He's likely to work out of the bullpen for Boston initially, though the Red Sox could have him get gradually stretched back out for a starting role since injuries have tested the club's depth at the back end of the rotation.

The Reds traded Van Belle to the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for Zack Littell, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Reds acquired Van Belle in a trade with Boston in mid-June, but he'll now be rerouted to Tampa Bay without ever making an appearance for the big-league club. The 28-year-old right-hander owns a 3.32 ERA and 1.18 WHIP through 81.1 innings between the Red Sox's and Reds' Triple-A affiliates, and he'll likely head to Triple-A Durham now that he's with the Rays.

The Tigers designated Owens (hip) for assignment Wednesday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.

Owens has made three appearances for the Tigers this season, giving up one run over three innings while striking out a batter and walking three. He'll now be cast off the 40-man roster in order to free up a spot for Rafael Montero, who was acquired in a trade with Atlanta on Wednesday. Owens carries a 5.40 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in Triple-A this season and is also working his way back from a right hip injury, which lowers his chances of being claimed off waivers.

Fairbanks was charged with a blown save in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-innings loss the Yankees, giving up one run on two hits and no walks in one inning. He struck out one.

Fairbanks blew his fourth save of the season and his second of the month of July. The hard-throwing right-hander has been Tampa Bay's go-to weapon for the ninth inning in 2025, although it's fair to wonder if his grip on the closer's role is slightly loosening due to a rough stretch on the mound since early June. Across his last 14.1 innings, Fairbanks has produced a 5.02 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB while converting six of nine save chances.

Williams was charged with a blown save in Wednesday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Rays, giving up two runs on one hit and one walk with no strikeouts in one inning.

It was only the second blown save of the season by Williams, but it's certainly been a shaky month of July for him. Over his last 11 innings, the star right-hander has a 5.73 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB. Williams does have a strong 3.48 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 28:5 K:BB across 20.2 innings since the start of June, so he's likely to remain New York's top option at closer going forward.

Detroit acquired Montero from Atlanta on Wednesday in exchange for infielder Jim Jarvis.

Montero will join his third team of the season after logging a 5.40 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 38.1 innings between Atlanta and Houston. He'll likely fill a middle-relief role for Detroit.

The Mariners optioned Kowar to Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday.

The Mariners had to make room in their bullpen after acquiring Caleb Ferguson from Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and Kowar will officially end up as the roster casualty. The 28-year-old righty pitched three scoreless innings after being recalled from Triple-A on Thursday, lowering his big-league ERA to 1.54 through 11.2 frames this season.

Vasil (5-3) earned the win Wednesday over the Phillies, allowing three hits while striking out three over four scoreless innings.

Vasil worked as a bulk reliever and managed to keep a high-powered Phillies offense at bay before the White Sox rallied for seven runs in the seventh inning, en route to a 9-3 victory. The 25-year-old Vasil has been excellent of late, posting a 0.61 ERA over his last seven appearances (14.2 innings). Overall, his ERA sits at an impressive 2.35 with a 1.22 WHIP and 51:36 K:BB across 69 innings in his rookie campaign.