The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Sunday that they acquired right-hander Yerry Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers in exchange for minor-league right-hander Josh Mollerus. Rodriguez has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Rodriguez debuted in the big leagues in 2022 with the Rangers and has a 7.11 ERA (5.59 FIP) and 1.70 WHIP with 28 strikeouts and 17 walks in 31 2/3 innings over 26 appearances (one start) with Texas in that time. In 17 relief innings for the Rangers in 2024, he allowed 13 earned runs on 16 hits (five home runs) while walking 11 and striking out 12 before being designated for assignment. The 26-year-old will need to display much better control on the mound in order to get another shot in the big leagues with his new team.

Veteran right-hander Julio Teheran opted out of his minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, according to the team. Teheran had gone 1-1 with a 9.18 ERA and 2.04 WHIP while striking out 12 and handing out 11 free passes in 16 2/3 innings in his four starts for Triple-A Norfolk, so the Orioles understandably had no designs on bringing him up to the big leagues anytime soon. The 33-year-old had a bloated 8.82 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in eight minor-league starts for Triple-A Iowa in the Chicago Cubs' minor-league system earlier this year and allowed four earned runs on six hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out three in just 2 2/3 frames in his only big-league start in 2024 for the New York Mets. Teheran is probably a long shot at this point to resurface in the big leagues with another team in a starting role.

Washington Nationals third baseman Nick Senzel will start Sunday's series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays on the bench. In his absence, Ildemaro Vargas will get the start at third base and will bat seventh in the order versus Rays right-hander Taj Bradley. Senzel will get a day to rest after starting in each of the team's last nine games. The 29-year-old former top prospect of the Cincinnati Reds has struggled of late as well, batting just .140 (6-for-43) with a homer, double, two RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts in 46 plate appearances in his last 13 games since June 13. Senzel does have seven home runs in 190 at-bats, but otherwise he hasn't done much for fantasy managers with a .216 average (41-for-190) with 18 RBI and 23 runs scored in his first year with the Nat. Vargas is a low-upside DFS sleeper who has never faced Bradley in his career.

The St. Louis Cardinals optioned right-handed pitching prospect Gordon Graceffo back to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday and selected the contract of right-hander Jacob Bosiokovic from Memphis in a corresponding move. Bosiokovic will be making his major-league debut when he appears in a game with St. Louis. Graceffo, the team's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his big-league debut out of the bullpen for the Cardinals on Saturday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds and looked good, giving up just one run in 4 1/3 innings pitched. The 24-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2021 out of Villanova has gone 8-5 with a 3.84 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with a 70:29 K:BB in 75 innings over 14 starts at Memphis this year and has a good chance at returning to the Cardinals in 2024, but it remains to be seen if it will come in a starting role at all.

Houston Astros rookie outfielder Joey Loperfido is not in the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the hosting New York Mets. It will be Loperfido's first day off after starting in each of the team's last six contests. The 25-year-old has gone 4-for-19 (.211) with two doubles, two RBI, a walk, a stolen base, two runs scored and seven strikeouts in six games since he returned from the injured list on June 21. The former seventh-round pick in 2021 out of Duke has just one home run in his first 58 major-league at-bats this year, but he's also hitting an impressive .293/.349/.397 with a .746 OPS, seven RBI and two stolen bases in 21 total games. Mauricio Dubon will get the nod in left field on Sunday and will hit eighth for the Astros against Mets right-hander Luis Severino. Dubon is hitless in four career at-bats versus Severino.