Reliever LaTroy Hawkins, middle, jaws with Luke Scott of the Baltimore Orioles, who was brushed back with a high pitch in a 12-2 Yankees loss on May 20. (Kathy Willens/Associated Press)

The Houston Astros acquired pitcher LaTroy Hawkins from the New York Yankees for minor-league second baseman Matt Cusick on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the Yankees dealt fellow reliever Kyle Farnsworth to the Detroit Tigers for catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez.

Hawkins, 35, was designated for assignment this past Saturday, meaning New York had 10 days to trade him or release him.

The right-hander posted a 1-1 record with a 5.71 earned-run average in 33 relief appearances with the Yankees, who signed him to a one-year, $3.75-million US contract last Dec. 27.

He served a three-game suspension for intentionally throwing a pitch over the head of batter Luke Scott in a 12-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on May 20.

"LaTroy gives us another experienced, quality arm for our bullpen," Astros general manager Ed Wade said. "We tried to sign him during the off-season and lost out to the Yankees.

"But we're happy to have him here for the remainder of the season. He gives [manager] Cecil Cooper one more weapon to call upon late in the game."

Hawkins is 57-77 overall with a 4.72 ERA and 75 saves in 664 games, including 98 starts, over 14 MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Yankees.

He will join the Astros in time for Friday's opener of a three-game series with the New York Mets.

"We ended up getting a deal done for an experienced relief pitcher who we think can go back on the back end and help [Doug] Brocail and [Chris] Sampson and the other guys who we have been using late and help us get the job done," Wade said.

Cusick, 22, was hitting .285 with nine home runs, 38 runs batted in, 55 runs scored and eight stolen bases in 94 games with the class-A Lexington Legends.

With files from the Associated Press