Arlington, Texas — The Texas Rangers today announced the following transactions prior to tonight’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers at Globe Life Field:
- Right-handed pitcher Ben Peoples (#70) contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock
- Right-handed pitcher Winston Santos optioned to Triple-A Round Rock
- Left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery injury rehabilitation assignment transferred from Double-A Frisco to Triple-A Round Rock
Additionally, right-handed pitchers Joe Ross and Chris Paddack and outfielder Jarred Kelenic declined outright assignments to Triple-A Round Rock and are free agents.
Peoples, 25, was acquired from Chicago-AL for minor league catcher Ben Hartl on Tuesday and assigned to Round Rock but did not appear for the Express. The right-hander is making his first career appearance on a 26-man roster and is seeking his Major League debut. In 29 relief outings for Triple-A Charlotte this season, Peoples is 5-1 with 4 saves, a 2.39 ERA (10 ER/37.2 IP), 21 walks, 45 strikeouts, and a 1.09 WHIP. His 2.39 ERA is 7th-lowest in the International League among pitchers with 35.0-or-more innings pitched, and he ranks T7th on the circuit in appearances. Peoples has limited opposing hitters to a .156 average (20-128) at Triple-A this year, with right-handed bats hitting just .103 (7-68) with 36 strikeouts against him.
Originally a 22nd-round selection by Tampa Bay in the 2019 MLB Draft from Giles County (Tenn.) High School, the Columbia, Tenn. native owns a minor league record of 21-23 with 4 saves, a 3.40 ERA (132 ER/349.2 IP), and 1.28 WHIP in 146 games/63 starts over 7 campaigns, mostly in the Rays organization until he was acquired by the White Sox on July 31, 2025 in a trade that sent right-hander Adrian Houser to Tampa Bay. Peoples has been utilized solely as a reliever over the last two seasons, making a career-high 45 appearances between Triple-A Durham and Charlotte in 2025.
Santos, 24, made his Major League debut in a 2.0-inning relief appearance yesterday at Cleveland, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits with one walk and one strikeout. The right-hander has spent the rest of the year at Double-A Frisco, going 1-3 with a 7.44 ERA (35 ER/42.1 IP) in 11 starts.
With today’s transactions, the Rangers have 39 players on the club’s Major League roster, along with five players on the 60-day Injured List (RHP Carter Baumler, LHP’s Cody Bradford, Robert Garcia, and Jordan Montgomery, and INF/OF Michael Helman).
MONTGOMERY MOVES TO ROUND ROCK: Left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery’s injury rehabilitation assignment has been transferred from Frisco (AA) to Round Rock (AAA). Montgomery is scheduled to start tonight’s 6:45 p.m. CT home contest against Albuquerque at Dell Diamond. He posted no record across 2 starts and 3.0 scoreless innings at Frisco, as opponents went 1-for-10 with a double, no walks, and 4 strikeouts. Montgomery has spent the entire campaign on the 60-day Injured List as he returns from ‘Tommy John’ ligament transplant surgery on his left elbow on March 28, 2025.
MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS: Additionally, the Rangers today announced the signings of right-handed pitcher Austin Voth and infielder Santiago Espinal to minor league contracts.
Voth (rhymes with ‘both’), who turned 34 on June 26, has logged a combined 3 Major League appearances with Toronto and Minnesota this season, having last appeared for the Twins in an extended relief appearance on June 23 vs. Los Angeles-NL (L, 4.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R-5 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 96 pitches/64 strikes) before being designated for assignment by Minnesota the next day. The right-hander has spent the balance of the campaign in Triple-A with Buffalo (TOR) and St. Paul (MIN), going 1-3 with a 3.65 ERA (18 ER/44.1 IP), 15 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 11 starts. 2026 marks a return to affiliated ball for Voth, who spent the 2025 campaign pitching for Chiba Lotte of the Japan Pacific League where he posted a 3.96 ERA in 22 games. An 8-year Major League veteran, Voth carries a 17-20 career record and 4.84 ERA in 210 games/39 starts with Washington (2018-22), Baltimore (2022-23), Seattle (2024), Toronto (2026), and Minnesota (2026). The Redmond, Wash. native was originally selected by the Nationals in the 5th round of the 2013 MLB Draft from the University of Washington.
The 31-year-old Espinal (pronounced ‘es-pin-ALL’) has appeared in 36 games across two stints this season for Los Angeles-NL (Opening Day-May 24, May 29-June 15), batting .268 (15-56) with one home run, 3 doubles, 7 RBI, and 5 runs scored. He has made defensive starts this season at third base (7), second base (4), and designated hitter, while also making three appearances at first base. Espinal is a veteran of 7 Major League seasons and has compiled a career .261/.314/.350/.664 slash line with 21 home runs, one triple, 83 doubles, and 167 RBI across 614 games with Toronto (2020-23), Cincinnati (2024-25), and Los Angeles-NL (2026). The utilityman has appeared at every defensive position besides centerfield in his Major League career, most often manning third base (279 games/203 starts) and second base (232 games/184 starts). A native of the Dominican Republic, Espinal prepped at Lyman H.S. in Longwood, Fla. and attended Miami Dade College, where he was selected by Boston in the 10th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
– RANGERS –