Los Angeles Dodgers Sign RHP After 5-Year Absence From Majors

He last pitched in the majors in 2017 and spent the past few seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. But the Los Angeles Dodgers are now giving 34-year-old Rubby De La Rosa another shot at the big leagues.

The Dodgers signed 33-year-old RHP Rubby De La Rosa to a minor league deal.

De La Rosa was one of the PTBNLs the Dodgers sent to the Red Sox in the Aug. 2012 deal that sent Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, and Nick Punto to LA and paved the way for the '13 title.

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) February 11, 2023

It's a reunion for De La Rosa, who began his major league career with the Dodgers back in 2011 after they had signed him out of the Dominican Republic. He was a top-100 prospect in baseball, and had a nice debut season, with a 3.71 ERA in 10 starts. 

But he had Tommy John surgery the next year, then moved on to the Boston Red Sox, where he was a full-time starter in 2014, registering a 4.54 ERA, and finally to the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons where he posted a similar ERA.

 He found success as a reliever with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan the past several years, posting a 2.53 ERA over four seasons there with a 1.11 WHIP. 

He'll provide some bullpen depth for the Dodgers' system. It remains to be seen if he'll get a shot in the big leagues.

Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic