Armstrong recorded his ninth save of the season in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mets, giving up a hit and striking out two over a scoreless two-thirds of an inning.
Phil Maton got the final out of the eighth inning and the first out of the ninth before handing the ball off to Armstrong after a Juan Soto single. Armstrong did give up a drive into right field by Ronny Mauricio that nearly tied the game, but Dustin Harris was able to cut it off before it got into the corner and limit it to a single, and the right-hander then struck out Brandon Nimmo to end the threat. Armstrong has converted six straight save chances since taking over as the Rangers' primary closer in mid-August, and since the All-Star break he's delivered a dazzling 1.09 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 26:5 K:BB in 24.2 innings.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Hangs on for save
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Armstrong picked up the save Tuesday against Milwaukee, allowing one run on two hits and no walks across one inning. He didn't record a strikeout.
Armstrong inherited a two-run lead but surrendered a solo home run to Jake Bauers. He stranded the game-tying run at first base, getting Christian Yelich to line out with Jackson Chourio on base to end the contest. Armstrong has allowed a run in two of his last five appearances, a streak that followed 11.2 consecutive scoreless innings. He's up to eight saves on the year.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Nabs four-out save
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Armstrong picked up the save Sunday against Houston, striking out one over 1.1 perfect innings.
Armstrong has now pitched more than one inning in three of his last four saves. The 34-year-old hasn't yielded a hit or a walk in three consecutive outings, a streak that spans 3.2 innings. He owns a 2.40 ERA, seven saves and a 64:18 K:BB across 63.2 innings this season.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Grabs sixth save
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Armstrong struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Monday's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Diamondbacks.
Armstrong picked up his third save in his last six appearances when he shut the door in the 10th inning. His 11.2-inning scoreless streak was snapped Sunday versus the Athletics, but the right-hander has been one of the Rangers' steadiest bullpen arms lately. He's now at a 2.51 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 63:18 K:BB while adding six saves, 10 holds and three blown saves over 61 innings.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Collects four-out save
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Armstrong earned his fourth save of the season during Sunday's 10-4 win over the Blue Jays, striking out one batter across 1.1 innings.
The Rangers turned to Armstrong to get the final out in the eighth after Hoby Milner yielded a two-run homer to George Springer and Cole Winn walked two-straight batters. Armstrong helped Texas escape the frame by getting Alejandro Kirk out and stayed on to close things out in the ninth, ending the game by striking out Myles Straw. In 14 appearances since the All-Star break, Armstrong has allowed just one run on five hits and two walks while striking out 16 over 13.1 innings.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Registers one-out save
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Armstrong earned a save against the Padres on Saturday by retiring the only batter he faced.
Texas held a three-run lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning, and manager Bruce Bochy turned to top closer Robert Garcia to close things out. Garcia struggled, however, loading the bases with two outs. Bochy then turned to Armstrong, who got Xander Bogaerts to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game. The save was the third of the season for Armstrong, who notched his other two saves across a three-game span in mid-May. Garcia has been a bit shaky of late, but he's still the most likely reliever to get the call the next time a save situation arises.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Takes loss as opener
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Armstrong (2-2) took the loss against the Royals on Thursday, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk while striking out one batter in the first inning.
With Nathan Eovaldi (triceps) on the injured list, the Rangers turned to Armstrong and the rest of the bullpen to fill the gap in the rotation. Armstrong took to the mound to start Thursday's game, but he gave up a two-run homer to Vinnie Pasquantino and was tagged with the loss as the Rangers were unable to muster up enough offense. Armstrong could be in the opener mix again next week against the Orioles at Camden Yards if Eovaldi is not cleared to return from the IL.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Starting bullpen game Thursday
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Armstrong will start Thursday against the Royals in what's expected to be a bullpen game for the Rangers, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
The Rangers remain without a No. 5 starter while Nathan Eovaldi (triceps) is on the injured list, so Armstrong will be called upon to fill the gap again after he previously covered the first three innings of last Friday's win over the White Sox. Jacob Latz will be available on four days' rest and could be called upon to fill multiple innings once Armstrong exits the contest. The 34-year-old Armstrong has been enjoying a nice bounce-back campaign, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP through 30 innings.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Kicking off bullpen game
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Armstrong will start Friday's game against the White Sox, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.
Armstrong will make his first start of 2025, though he's expected to throw just one or two innings before handing the ball off to another reliever as part of the Rangers' bullpen game. Armstrong hasn't pitched more than two innings in an appearance this season. He has a 3.33 ERA and a 29:13 K:BB over 27 innings on the campaign.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: Strikes out side for first save
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Armstrong picked up the save after throwing a clean ninth inning in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Colorado. He struck out three.
Chris Martin was initially summoned to work the ninth, but he was pulled before recording an out due to right elbow tightness. That setback coupled with setup man Robert Garcia having worked each of the past two days forced manager Bruce Bochy to turn to Armstrong, who struck out the side on 17 pitches for his first save of the year. Luke Jackson is currently managing a hand injury, so Armstrong could be in line for a short-term boost in high-leverage work until Texas' bullpen gets healthier. Armstrong owns a 3.06 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over 17.2 innings this season.
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Rangers' Shawn Armstrong: MLB deal with Texas
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The Rangers signed Armstrong to a one-year contract Monday, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Armstrong spent time with three different teams in 2024, finishing with a 4.86 ERA and 66:25 K:BB over 66.2 innings between the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs. The 34-year-old righty should operate in middle relief for Texas.
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Shawn Armstrong: Reaches free agency
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The Cubs released Armstrong on Tuesday.
Armstrong cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week and is now a free agent. The veteran reliever will look for a new club this offseason after collecting a 4.86 ERA and 66:25 K:BB over 66.2 innings for the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs in 2024.
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Cubs' Shawn Armstrong: Claimed by Cubs
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The Cubs claimed Armstrong off waivers Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Armstrong was acquired by the Cardinals from the Rays in late July as part of the trade package for Dylan Carlson. Armstrong posted a 2.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 12.2 innings with St. Louis, but he was designated for assignment Tuesday. He'll stay in the NL Central and give the Cubs much-needed bullpen depth after Julian Merryweather was placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday due to right knee tendinitis.
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Cardinals' Shawn Armstrong: Jettisoned from 40-man roster
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The Cardinals designated Armstrong for assignment Tuesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Armstrong was acquired from the Rays in the Dylan Carlson trade and has pitched well with a 2.84 ERA and 12:2 K:BB over 12.2 innings. The Cardinals are likely hoping the right-hander gets claimed so they can clear a bit of salary. Riley O'Brien will replace Armstrong on the roster and in the bullpen.
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Cardinals' Shawn Armstrong: Picks up first win with new team
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Armstrong (3-2) earned the win Sunday over the Twins, retiring both batters he faced.
Armstrong has been moderately effective in a middle-relief role since joining the Cardinals, allowing four runs over 11.1 innings across 10 appearances. He's added an 11:2 K:BB in that span. For the year, Armstrong has a 4.97 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 61:21 K:BB, one save and three holds over 58 innings between the Cardinals and the Rays. Given the success of St. Louis' high-leverage relievers, Armstrong is unlikely to move up the hierarchy.
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Cardinals' Shawn Armstrong: Acquired by St. Louis
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The Cardinals acquired Armstrong from the Rays on Tuesday in exchange for outfielder Dylan Carlson, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Armstrong was dominant in 2023 with a 1.38, 0.90 WHIP and 54:11 K:BB over 52 innings, but he's labored this season with 5.40 ERA in 38 appearances. The right-hander should primarily work in middle relief for the Cardinals.
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Rays' Shawn Armstrong: Serving as opener Sunday
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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.
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Rays' Shawn Armstrong: Opening Tuesday's contest
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Armstrong will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Armstrong will draw his sixth opener assignment of the season and is unlikely to work more than an inning or two Tuesday before exiting the game. The Rays plan to call up lefty Tyler Alexander from Triple-A Durham ahead of Tuesday's contest, and he'll be in line to work in bulk relief behind Armstrong.
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Rays' Shawn Armstrong: Slated to open Thursday's game
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Armstrong will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Thursday's game against the Athletics.
He'll likely work no more than an inning or two before giving way to lefty Tyler Alexander, who is expected to operate as a bulk reliever. Armstrong has previously been used as an opener four times this season, striking out 11 over six innings while allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks.
Armstrong will serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.
Armstrong will draw his third "start" of the season, but he hasn't recorded more than six outs in any of his eight appearances and is unlikely to work more than once through the batting order, if that. Manager Kevin Cash hasn't outlined his plans for once Armstrong exits the game, but Tyler Alexander is available on his standard four days' rest and will presumably operate as a bulk reliever after tossing 5.1 scoreless innings in his last start Friday against the Yankees.
