Dodgers News: Shawn Tolleson Claimed Off Waivers By Texas Rangers

The deadline to keep players ahead of the Rule 5 draft is midnight eastern tonight and in anticipation of that, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost reliever Shawn Tolleson to a waiver claim by the Texas Rangers.

Tolleson, 25, pitched in just one game for the Dodgers last season before hip and back injuries forced him to undergo season-ending hip surgery. The Dodgers official Twitter account confirmed reports that the Rangers claimed him off waivers:

Today, right-handed reliever Shawn Tolleson was claimed off waivers by the #Rangers.

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 20, 2013

In his brief Dodgers career, Tolleson was 3-1 with a 4.30 ERA as he had a spectacular minor league career with a 1.34 ERA in four seasons and 185 strikeouts in 127.2 innings pitched.

It’s unknown where Tolleson stands in his rehab process, but he could’ve been a nice addition to the ever-evolving Dodger bullpen. Now, the Dodgers will continue to scour the market as they’ve reached out to Brian Wilson’s representatives and J.P. Howell said he’d like to come back if the terms made sense.

Another wrinkle in losing Tolleson is the fact that he’s best friends with ace Clayton Kershaw. This shouldn’t have any effects on negotiations between the two sides, but it can’t make Kershaw happy to see his best friend go.

Tolleson joins Nick Punto, Elian Herrera and Skip Schumaker as Dodgers that have left the organization this winter as the off-season is in full swing.
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