The Mets on Wednesday claimed righthander Ruddy Lugo off waivers from the Athletics, according to a report on Yahoo.com.

According to a Assoicated Press report, the Rangers sent first baseman Chris Shelton outright to Triple-A Oklahoma on Thursday after he cleared waivers.

The Rangers on Wednesday placed lefthander Bill White on waivers for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.

The Phillies made room on their 40-man roster for outfielder So Taguchi yesterday when they put lefthander Matt Smith on waivers. Smith, 28, opened last season with the Phillies but had an 11.25 earned run average after nine appearances. He went 2-1 with a 2.60 ERA in 16 appearances for triple-A Ottawa, but underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery July 3. Smith has been in a rehabilitation program in the off-season. The Phillies acquired Smith in 2006 in the Bobby Abreu trade.