Blue Jays add Santos, Cruz to bolster bullpen

TORONTO -- After Marco Estrada's first-inning exit on Tuesday night, the Blue Jays made a series of roster moves on Wednesday to bolster their overworked bullpen.
Toronto selected right-handers Luis Santos and Rhiner Cruz from Triple-A Buffalo. The 27-year-old Santos had a 2.52 ERA over 17 games, including two starts, for Buffalo. Cruz, 31, has not pitched in the Majors since 2013, when he threw 21 1/3 innings with Houston. He had a 1.04 ERA in six games with Buffalo.
Both pitchers made an appearance Wednesday night in the Blue Jays' 6-3 loss to the Mets. Santos entered in the fifth and delivered 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, two hits allowed and a runner picked off attempting to steal second base. Cruz worked around a leadoff double in a scoreless eighth and tossed a perfect ninth.
The team designated Preston Guilmet for assignment and optioned Tim Mayza to Buffalo. Guilmet, 30, was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals earlier in the season. He struggled with Toronto, posting a 9.00 ERA over eight innings (six games). The 26-year-old Mayza gave up five earned runs over 12 innings for the Blue Jays in 12 appearances.
When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster -- and 25-man roster if he was on that, as well. Within seven days of the transaction (it was previously 10 days), the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.