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By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers today claimed infielder Carlos Triunfel on outright waivers from Seattle, added him to the 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

In his 27-game MLB career, the 24-year-old Triunfel is 11 for 66 with one walk. Spending most of last year with Triple-A Tacoma, Triunfel had a .328 on-base percentage and slugged .394.

A native of the Dominican Republic, he received a $1.3 million signing bonus at age 16, according to John Sickels of Minor League Ball, and made his pro debut in 2007 at age 17. In 2009, according to Sickels, “he played just 11 games due to a horrifying leg injury that included a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments.”

In his 2013 assessment, Sickels adds:

Interestingly, despite the stocky height/weight listing, when I’ve seen him in person he’s actually shown more quickness around the infield than he did three or four years ago. It looks to me like he’s put in a lot of work on defense. His reactions are better, his footwork is cleaner, and while he’s not going to win any gold gloves at shortstop, you could play him there on a short-term basis without killing yourself.

He’s always had a very strong throwing arm, and his throws are more accurate than they used to be. He’s performed well in brief action at second base and third base, so he does fit the utility profile positionally.