Dodgers claim right-hander from Rangers who is coming off Tommy John surgery
Former Rangers right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla delivers a pitch last season during a game against the Astros.
Tinker, tinker, the roster repair is never truly done. No matter the time of year nor how inventive the effort.
The Dodgers’ front office was at it again Wednesday, claiming a 25-year-old right-hander from the Rangers who had Tommy John surgery in April and placing him on the 60-day disabled list.
Lisalverto Bonilla, 25, went to camp with the Rangers last spring with a chance to make their opening-day roster as either a reliever or starter. But his elbow flared up, and he ended up having surgery in April.
Bonilla made his major league debut in 2014, appearing in five games (three starts) and going 3-0 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.21 WHIP.
He had been in the Rangers’ minor league system for six years, striking out 489 in 429 innings with a 3.17 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. In 170 minor league games, he started 43 times.
Originally signed as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic by the Phillies, Bonilla appeared in the 2012 Futures Game.
For now, he’s a what-have-you-got-to-lose gamble.
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