ARLINGTON, Texas — Right-hander José Buttó is joining the Texas Rangers after the club claimed him off waivers from the San Francisco Giants, Texas announced Monday. In the same move, the Rangers assigned infielder and outfielder Michael Helman outright to the minor leagues, which takes him off the 40-man roster.

Buttó pitched in 3 games for San Francisco this season before the Giants placed him on the injured list April 2 with right arm fatigue. In 2 innings, he allowed 6 hits, 5 earned runs, and 4 walks with 5 strikeouts for a 22.50 ERA.

José Buttó Missed Most Of 2026 After Two Arm Surgeries

A day after going on the injured list, Buttó had surgery on April 3 to remove a blood clot in his right arm, and the Giants initially expected him to miss two to four months. Two weeks later, on April 17, he had a second surgery to repair an axillary artery in his upper right arm. Dr. Jason Lee performed that procedure at Stanford Medical Center, and San Francisco said it would keep him out five to six months. Buttó went to the 60-day injured list April 21 and did not pitch in the majors again for a Giants team that finished 65-97.

Buttó debuted with the New York Mets on Aug. 21, 2022, and pitched for them through July 2025. In 2023, he made 9 appearances, 7 of them starts, and went 1-4 with a 3.64 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 42 innings. The Mets traded him to San Francisco on July 30, 2025, and he posted a 4.50 ERA in 20 innings for the Giants the rest of that season.

Buttó has a 3.76 ERA across 98 major league games, including 15 starts. He has 185 strikeouts and 99 walks in 189 innings.

Buttó is out of minor league options. Baseball Reference lists him as arbitration-eligible for 2027, and the deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is Nov. 20.

Michael Helman Leaves 40-Man Roster After 16 Games With Texas Rangers

Helman hit .167/.235/.300 with 1 home run and 2 RBI in 16 games for the Rangers this season. He had 5 hits in 30 at-bats, with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.

Nine of his appearances came in center field, with four more at shortstop, two in right field, and one in left field. His home run came June 7 in a 10-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Globe Life Field.

In the minors this season, Helman hit .207 with 6 home runs, 17 RBI, and 5 stolen bases in 150 at-bats, most of them with Triple-A Round Rock.

Texas claimed Helman off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 19, 2025. Pittsburgh had claimed him from the St. Louis Cardinals five days earlier, and St. Louis acquired him from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations on Feb. 6, 2025.

Helman reached the Rangers on June 27, 2025, after posting a .757 OPS with Round Rock. He is a .223 career hitter with 6 home runs and 22 RBI over parts of three major league seasons with the Twins and Rangers.