LOS ANGELES – The Angels bolstered their sagging rotation with a right-hander who has been one of baseball’s top starting pitchers over the last 41/2 years, acquiring Zack Greinke from the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop Jean Segura, and double-A pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena on Friday.

The deal was remarkable for the Angels in that they did not have to give up two of their top young major leaguers, center fielder Peter Bourjos and pitcher Garrett Richards.

Segura, recently called up from Double-A Arkansas, was preparing to join the Angels when he was pulled off the field by first-base coach Alfredo Griffen and sent to Manager Mike Scioscia’s office to be informed of the deal.

Greinke, 28, is 9-3 with a 3.44 earned-run average, 122 strikeouts and 28 walks in 123 innings this season.

He won the American League Cy Young Award with the Kansas City Royals in 2009 and helped the Brewers win the National League Central title in 2011.

The risk in acquiring Greinke, who makes $13.5 million this season — about $4.5 million of which the Angels will now pick up — is that he can depart as a free agent next winter and the Angels, under the new collective bargaining agreement, will receive no draft-pick compensation for him.

TWINS: Trevor Plouffe was scratched from Minnesota’s lineup and placed on the disabled list after aggravating a right thumb injury during batting practice before a game against the Cleveland Indians.

ROCKIES: Colorado activated first baseman Todd Helton from the 15-day disabled list. Helton, 38, missed 12 games with inflammation in his left hip. The five-time All-Star has struggled this season, batting a career-low .235 with seven home runs and 34 RBI in 63 games.

PHILLIES: Philadelphia recalled infielder Kevin Frandsen from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after placing third baseman Placido Polanco on the 15-day disabled list with lower back inflammation.

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