MLB Player News

Ort was claimed off waivers by the Astros and optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Ort was acquired by the Orioles in February but struggled to a 12.08 ERA in 14 outings at Triple-A Norfolk, which led to him being removed from the 40-man roster. The 32-year-old made 21 appearances for the Red Sox last season and posted a 6.26 ERA and 1.57 WHIP over 23 innings, and he should serve as organizational depth for the Astros.

Miller will serve as the Giants' opening pitcher in Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.

Miller was unavailable to pitch over the weekend due to a calf injury, but he appears to be fine now. He'll likely work an inning or two Tuesday before turning the game over the bullpen. Baggarly notes that the Giants have discussed recalling Spencer Howard from Triple-A Sacramento to serve as a bulk reliever Tuesday, though the team has yet to make any roster moves as of yet.

The Twins transferred Topa from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday with left patellar tendinitis.

The right-hander was diagnosed with a small tear in the patellar tendon of his left knee in mid-May and isn't expected to resume throwing for another month, so a move to the 60-day IL isn't much of a surprise. Topa was a key bullpen piece for Seattle last season with a 2.61 ERA and 24 holds in 75 appearances, but he's been sidelined by knee issues since late in spring training and won't be debuting for Minnesota until midseason, at least.

The Twins selected Castillo's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.

Castillo's arrival with the big club was delayed a day by travel issues, but he'll be in its bullpen for Tuesday's contest against the Royals. The 30-year-old right-hander earned a promotion after posting a 2.50 ERA and 22:6 K:BB over 18 innings with St. Paul.

The Dodgers recalled Ramirez from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Ramirez will serve as the 27th man for the Dodgers during their doubleheader against the Mets. The left-handed reliever has permitted four runs with a 3:5 K:BB over 9.1 innings during his time in the majors this season.

Vodnik gave up two hits and no walks over 1.1 scoreless innings in relief en route to collecting his third hold of the season in Monday's 8-6 win over the Guardians.

Vodnik has largely worked in middle relief this season, but the Rockies are gradually starting to trust him in higher-leverage spots. He's now claimed holds in both of his last two appearances and is maintaining a 2.93 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 23:12 K:BB over 30.2 innings on the season.

Molina gave up three earned runs on two hits and three walks across 1.2 innings in Monday's 8-6 win over the Guardians.

Molina stepped in for his first MLB start on short notice after Austin Gomber (arm) was scratched ahead of the game, but the Rule 5 pick ended up serving as more of an opener than a traditional starting pitcher. He needed 45 pitches just to record five outs before being pulled in favor of Josh Rogers, who tossed five innings of two-run ball in bulk relief. If Gomber ends up landing on the injured list and isn't able to make his next turn this weekend in Los Angeles, Rogers would likely be the preferred choice over Molina to make a spot start or cover the bulk of the innings.

The Mets recalled Nunez from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Nunez will serve as the Mets' 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader against the Dodgers and will be available for both games. The right-handed reliever has made four appearances with the big club this season, allowing three runs with a 10:2 K:BB over 6.1 frames. He will likely be sent back down after the doubleheader.

Brown is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Brewers at American Family Field.

Brown made his fifth start of the season and his first since May 2 in his last appearance Thursday versus Atlanta, striking out six over four scoreless innings while working around one hit and two walks. Because he had been working out of the bullpen over the preceding three weeks and took the mound versus Atlanta on three days' rest, Brown had his workload monitored carefully, as he was pulled after 66 pitches despite mowing down the opposing lineup. Brown should be able to provide the Cubs with more length when he takes the hill Tuesday, but his run in the Chicago rotation may not last much longer, with Jordan Wicks (forearm) nearing a return from the 15-day injured list.

Swanson gave up a run on two hits in one-third of an inning Monday to record his fifth hold of the season in a 5-1 win over the White Sox.

The right-hander served up a solo shot to Gavin Sheets, the fifth homer Swanson has given up in only 13.2 innings this season. He still carries a 9.22 ERA, but most of that damage came early in the season -- over his last nine appearances, Swanson has a 3.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 6:2 K:BB in 7.2 innings. Monday's hold was his first in May, and he appears to be close to regaining a regular spot in the Blue Jays' high-leverage crew.