MLB Player News

Houston optioned Whitcomb to Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday.

The Astros made a flurry of acquisitions ahead of Thursday's trade deadline that led to Whitcomb losing his spot on the 26-man active roster. The 26-year-old infielder is closing in on his third season in a row with 20-plus homers and double-digit steals at the Triple-A level, but he has a career .178 average and .231 on-base percentage in 78 plate appearances in the big leagues.

The Blue Jays acquired Valenzuela from the Padres on Thursday in exchange for Will Wagner.

Valenzuela has slashed .229/.313/.387 with 12 homers over 87 contests at Double-A San Antonio this season. The 24-year-old catcher looks to be mostly a depth addition for Toronto.

Bateman was traded from the Padres to the Orioles on Thursday as part of the return for Ryan O'Hearn and Ramon Laureano, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports. The Orioles also received Brandon Butterworth, Victor Figueroa, Cobb Hightower, Tyson Neighbors and Tanner Smith in return.

A 6-foot-8, 19-year-old left-handed pitcher, Bateman has a high ceiling but is years away from the majors. The Padres drafted him 52nd overall in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft and gave him a $2.5 million bonus. Bateman has a 4.08 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 75:25 K:BB in 68.1 innings at Single-A this season.

The Rangers acquired Coulombe from the Twins on Thursday in exchange for Garrett Horn.

Coulombe turned himself into a nice trade chip for the Twins by posting a 1.16 ERA and 31:9 K:BB over 31 innings. The southpaw is effective against both left- and right-handed hitters and should help fill a setup role in Texas.

The Astros acquired Sanchez from the Marlins on Thursday in exchange for right-hander Ryan Gusto, infielder Chase Jaworsky and outfielder Esmil Valencia, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Sanchez had settled in as the Marlins' No. 2 hitter against righties while occasionally batting out of the bottom third of the lineup against lefties, but he may be in line for a less favorable lineup placement and more strict platoon in Houston. The 27-year-old outfielder is slashing .256/.320/.420 with 10 home runs, nine steals, an 8.6 percent walk rate and a career-best 20.8 percent strikeout rate in 337 plate appearances this season.

The Astros acquired Correa (illness) and cash from the Twins on Thursday in exchange for left-hander Matt Mikulski, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Correa agreed to waive his no-trade clause to return to the team where he spent his first seven seasons in the big leagues. Though he's played exclusively at shortstop throughout his professional career, Correa is slated to take over at third base for the Astros, filling the spot vacated by the injured Isaac Paredes (hamstring), who could be done for the remainder of the season. Correa has slashed a disappointing .267/.319/.386 with seven home runs in 93 contests this season. He is owed around $12 million for the remainder of this season and $92 million over the next three years. Correa didn't play in the Twins' last game Wednesday after experiencing lightheadedness Tuesday, but he should be fine to play for the Astros this weekend in Boston.

The Dodgers traded Outman to the Twins on Thursday in exchange for Brock Stewart, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.

Outman has dominated pitchers in Triple-A this season to the tune of a .970 OPS through 333 plate appearances, but he's logged just four hits in 39 at-bats with the Dodgers. Between his poor MLB performance and a loaded roster, the 28-year-old outfielder was struggling to find at-bats in Los Angeles. He still isn't likely to start regularly upon joining the Twins, but he could pick up some at-bats in the short term while Byron Buxton (ribs) is on the injured list.

Robles (shoulder) hit on the field Wednesday for the first time since getting injured, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Robles is also throwing out to 150 feet, and the next hurdle for him to climb in his rehab will involve diving and sliding. Although it's encouraging to see that the 28-year-old outfielder has resumed swinging with both hands, he's still not expected to be cleared to return from a dislocated left shoulder until September at the earliest. Until Robles is healthy, Dominic Canzone and Dylan Moore should continue to make up a platoon for at-bats in right field for the Mariners.

The Yankees acquired Bird from the Rockies on Thursday in exchange for Roc Riggio and Ben Shields, Jack Curry of YES Network reports.

Bird has had a rough July, allowing 15 runs (14 earned) with a 5:4 K:BB over 6.1 innings. However, he entered the month with a 2.68 ERA and 57:19 K:BB over 47 frames, and the Yankees are betting he'll be closer to the latter version. Bird also comes with team control through the 2028 campaign.

Gomez was traded from the Mets to the Orioles on Thursday along with Anthony Nunez and Chandler Marsh in exchange for Cedric Mullins, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Gomez has a fastball that has regularly touched triple digits in the past, but very poor command resulted in him moving from the rotation to the bullpen this year in the lower levels of the Mets' system. Gomez has a 6.95 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 28:15 K:BB in 22 innings as a reliever at High-A. He missed 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery.