With Luke Jackson (hand) and Chris Martin (elbow) sidelined, the Rangers once again turned to Armstrong with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth inning. He made things a bit interesting by issuing a two-out walk to Victor Caratini, but he fought back to get Zach Dezenzo top pop out to second base to end it. Armstrong has proven that he’s capable of handling save situations for the Rangers, so look for him to continue to get his name called while Jackson and Martin are shelved.

The Rangers were already down Luke Jackson, who was hit in the hand by a line drive on Monday, and Chris Martin had been removed from the ninth inning of Tuesday’s game due to tightness in his elbow. That left Armstrong with a golden opportunity to protect a three-run advantage in the ninth inning with runners at the corners and nobody out. He made it look awfully easy, needing 17 pitches (11 strikes) to punch out Michael Toglia, Sean Bouchard and Owen Miller in succession. If Jackson and Martin are forced to miss any significant time, Armstrong could find himself in line for more save chances and would be worth a speculative add in deeper mixed leagues.

The deal is now official. Armstrong provides the Rangers with some additional experienced relief depth heading into next season after making 57 appearances last year between the Rays, Cardinals and Cubs, finishing with a serviceable 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 66/25 K/BB ratio across 66 2/3 innings of work. The 34-year-old right-hander has made 299 appearances in the majors dating back to 2015.

Armstrong is on the 40-man roster, so the Rangers had to designate Sam Huff for assignment to make room. Armstrong was waived by the Cubs back in September after registering a 4.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings for the Rays, Cardinals, and Cubs in 2024. The 34-year-old does have a 4.15 career ERA in 347 1/3 innings, so he will bring some stability and experience to a Rangers bullpen that is in dire need of it.