The Rays have designated Jose Dominguez for assignment, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). The move will make room on the 40-man roster for the return of pitcher Drew Smyly.
Dominguez, 25, came to the Rays in the November deal that sent Joel Peralta and Adam Liberatore to the Dodgers. Tampa Bay also acquired minor league pitcher Greg Harris in that swap.
Dominguez received a brief taste of Major League action in each of the past three seasons – two with L.A. and one with Tampa Bay. Baseball America once ranked him 11th among Dodgers prospects, calling him a “pure power arm” whose fastball sits 97-100 mph and can touch 102. However, BA noted his erratic command and a 50-game suspension for PED use on his minor league track record in their scouting report. In 25 appearances with the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate this season, Dominguez has posted a 6.26 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 6.3 BB/9. Still, he’s shown a propensity for strikeouts in the minors, averaging 9.9 punchouts per nine innings for his career.
To keep track of Dominguez and everyone else in DFA limbo, check out MLBTR’s DFA Tracker.
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