MLB Player News

The Astros selected Leon's contract from Triple-A Sugar Land on Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The 26-year-old is taking the roster spot of Joey Loperfido, who was traded to the Blue Jays as part of the package for lefty starter Yusei Kikuchi. Leon has a .297/.377/.519 slash line with 19 homers and 23 steals in 93 games at Triple-A this season, and he could see regular playing time in right field until Kyle Tucker (shin) is ready to return from the injured list.

The Blue Jays recalled Rodriguez from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Just a day after being optioned to Triple-A, Rodriguez will now return to the Blue Jays to opening on the roster that was created when reliever Trevor Richards was traded to Minnesota on Tuesday. Rodriguez has posted a 7.71 ERA and 1.71 WHIP through 18.2 innings in the majors this season and will likely be limited to low-leverage appearances out of the Toronto bullpen.

The Astros transferred Tucker (shin) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Tucker has already been on the injured list nearly two months due to the right shin contusion, so this transaction won't affect his recovery timeline. GM Dana Brown said last week that he's "optimistic" the outfielder will return from the injured list before September, but there otherwise isn't a clear timeline for his return. Tucker has progressed slowly in his rehab program but has been taking part in batting practice and increasing his on-field work.

The Twins transferred Kirilloff (back) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old now won't be eligible to be reinstated until mid-August, but he wasn't likely to return within the next couple weeks regardless given the lack of recent updates in his rehab program. If not for the back strain, Kirilloff was set to be demoted to Triple-A St. Paul due to his .654 OPS this season, so the Twins will likely send him on a lengthy rehab assignment once he's game ready in an attempt to get him back on track.

The Royals recalled Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

The right-hander allowed four runs over 2.2 frames in a spot start for Kansas City in late April, but he's otherwise been with Omaha this season. Bowlan has a 4.93 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 80:30 K:BB over 84 innings at Triple-A this season. It appears he's joining the big club as a reliever for the stretch run, considering he worked out of the bullpen in his last four appearances for Omaha.

The Royals optioned Loftin to Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old will lose his place on the big-league roster after the Royals acquired Paul DeJong from the White Sox on Tuesday. Loftin has a .199/.294/.248 slash line with one homer in 55 MLB games this season.

The Orioles designated Irvin for assignment Tuesday, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

The left-hander was demoted to the bullpen in early July and has now been removed from the 26-man and 40-man rosters entirely. Irvin had a respectable 4.06 ERA in 14 starts but surrendered 17 earned runs over 19.1 innings of relief.

The Red Sox designated Wingenter for assignment Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Monday but didn't stick on the big-league roster for long. Wingenter has given up seven earned runs over 2.1 frames in his two appearances for Boston this season.

The Angels acquired Zeferjahn, outfielder Matthew Lugo, infielder Niko Kavadas and right-hander Yeferson Vargas from the Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Luis Garcia, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

A 26-year-old righty with zero big-league experience, Zeferjahn has a 5.47 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 24.2 innings across 18 appearances for Triple-A Worcester. He has seven saves across Double-A and Triple-A this season and has no trouble missing bats, but his 14.8 percent walk rate at Triple-A is a red flag, especially given his age.

The Angels acquired Kavadas, outfielder Matthew Lugo and right-handers Ryan Zeferjahn and Yeferson Vargas from the Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Luis Garcia, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

A first baseman/designated hitter with huge raw power and a lot of strikeouts, Kavadas has a better chance of breaking through with the Angels than he did with Boston. A fourth-round pick in 2021, Kavadas is already 25 and is repeating Triple-A this season. The lefty-hitting slugger slashed .281/.424/.551 with 17 home runs and a 33.4 percent strikeout rate in 83 games for Triple-A Worcester.