LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of outfielder Stefen Romero and placed infielder Hanser Alberto on the paternity list. In order to make room for Romero on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred infielder Edwin Ríos to the 60-day injured list.
Romero, 33, returns to the Major Leagues for the first time since 2016. Prior to signing with the Dodgers on February 12 on a minor league contract, he had spent the last five seasons with the Orix Buffaloes and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. During his five seasons in the NPB, he hit a combined .264 with 96 homers and 264 RBI. In 24 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he is hitting .270 (24-for-89) with three homers and 21 RBI. In his Major League career, spanning three seasons with Seattle (2014-16), he hit .195 with four homers and 17 RBI.
Alberto, 29, has appeared in 34 games, hitting .242 with three doubles, one homer and four RBI. The former batting champion is in his seventh Major League season, and he has hit a combined .274 (338-for-1232) with 18 homers and 110 RBI. He signed a Major League deal with the Dodgers on March 23, 2022.
