MLB Player News

Armstrong will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Reds, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Armstrong will open his seventh game of the season and will likely throw one or two innings before giving way to Tyler Alexander, who is expected to work in bulk relief. Armstrong threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts Tuesday while serving as an opener in the Rays' game against the Blue Jays.

Alzolay's (forearm) rehab assignment was transferred to Triple-A Iowa on Saturday, Tommy Birch of USA Today reports.

Alzolay appeared in two games with the Cubs' Arizona Complex League affiliate, allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits and no walks across two innings. He'll continue his assignment at Triple-A and it's unclear how many more outings he'll need before being activated.

The Red Sox designated Speas for assignment Saturday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Speas will be removed from the Red Sox's 40-man roster to make room for Danny Jansen, who's coming over from Toronto via trade. Speas was claimed off waivers by Boston on June 29 but has been with Triple-A Worcester since.

The Angels traded Estevez to the Phillies on Saturday in exchange for right-hander George Klassen and left-hander Samuel Aldegheri.

Estevez was one of the top closers available at the deadline, having logged 20 saves in 23 chances this season with a 2.38 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. He'll join a Phillies bullpen that opened the season deploying Jose Alvarado in the ninth inning before turning to Jeff Hoffman late in June, with Alvarado occasionally mixing in. Without a clear top closer, Estevez has a chance to step into the ninth-inning role for the Phillies, who boast an MLB-best 64-39 record.

Santos (knee) is feeling better and will likely be available out of the bullpen for Saturday's game against the White Sox, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Santos exited Wednesday's game with a right knee injury and underwent an MRI that "came back OK," per manager Scott Servais. The right-hander has made progress in the last 24 hours and should be available to pitch against his former team Saturday night. Since being activated from the 60-day IL on July 8, Santos has allowed three runs in four innings.

The Rockies selected Curtiss' contract from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Curtiss will take Ty Blach's spot on the 40-man and 26-man rosters and will serve as a depth piece for a Colorado bullpen that just traded Nick Mears to the Brewers. Curtiss has made one appearance with the Rockies this season, yielding two runs in one-third of an inning. He logged a 4.03 ERA in 38 innings for Albuquerque.

The Rockies recalled Bird from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Bird will take Nick Mears' spot on the active roster Saturday after Mears was traded to Milwaukee for a pair of minor-league pitchers. Bird has appeared in 22 games for the Rockies this season, posting a 6.26 ERA and 16:18 K:BB across 23 innings.

The Rockies acquired Blalock and right-hander Yujanyer Herrera from the Brewers on Saturday in exchange for right-hander Nick Mears, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Blalock made one appearance with the Brewers this season, walking one batter in a scoreless inning. The 23-year-old has primarily pitched at the Double-A level, starting 16 games this season and posting a 4.08 ERA and 64:27 K:BB across 75 innings for Biloxi. He'll likely report to Double-A Hartford with his new organization.

The Brewers acquired Mears from the Rockies on Saturday in exchange for right-handers Bradley Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Mears will provide depth to a Brewers bullpen that has recently lost two key relievers in Rob Zastryzny (elbow) and Bryan Hudson (oblique) to injuries. The 27-year-old right-hander logged a 5.56 ERA in 45.1 innings with Colorado this season but has some encouraging underlying metrics, including a 3.00 xERA. The Brewers have a knack for getting the most out of underperforming pitchers, and it looks like they'll attempt to do the same with Mears.

The Giants designated Baumann for assignment Saturday.

Baumann was acquired by San Francisco via trade Sunday after being designated for assignment by the Mariners on July 19. He surrendered two runs in two-thirds of an inning for the Giants. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Baumann should be expected to remain in the Giants organization. Spencer Bivens was called up in a corresponding move.