Athletics DFA righty Noah Murdock, call up righty Elvis Alvarado

Athletics DFA righty Noah Murdock, call up righty Elvis Alvarado originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The Athletics announced on Friday that they designated rookie right-handed reliever Noah Murdock for assignment. The team promoted righty Elvis Alvarado from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Murdock, who the A's selected No. 4 overall in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft in December.
Murdock, 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds, struggled to find a command correlating with his intimidating frame. He carried a 13.24 ERA over 14 games during the 2025 MLB season and allowed 26 hits, 25 runs and 20 walks to 21 strikeouts collected.
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Murdock's statistical woes undoubtedly peaked on April 29. In a 15-2 loss to the Texas Rangers, the 26-year-old allowed four hits, three walks and seven runs without earning a single out.
But, besides the steep ERA, the likely needle-mover for A's manager Mark Kotsay and the team's management was Murdock's final outing – a 6-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, where he gave up a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning, leading to a crucial slide in the competitive AL West.
Alvarado, 6-foot-4 and 183 pounds, is someone the A's are looking to for middle-relief stability. Over 14 games with Triple-A Las Vegas, the 26-year-old posted a 3.45 ERA through 15 2/3 frames with 22 strikeouts, to just four walks, and a perfect 5-for-5 record on save attempts.
Alvarado's opportunity will be his first in the majors after he spent his first seven years paving his way through the minors. He could debut as early as Friday night as the A's begin their weekend series against the AL East-leading New York Yankees at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento.

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