The Rangers have signed right-hander Nabil Crismatt to a minor league contract, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News on X. The right-hander will report to Triple-A Round Rock in the coming days. Crismatt, 29, returned to free agency earlier this week. He has been on and off the Dodgers’ roster a few times this season. He signed a minor league contract with the organization over the winter and was promoted to the roster in late March. He pitched one game before being designated for assignment and accepted an outright offer. He was selected again in late April and made four more appearances before losing his roster position once more.
Around those transactions, the results in his small sample of work have been decent. Crismatt has allowed two earned runs in seven major league innings so far this year, striking out six opponents without issuing a walk. His 12 2/3 Triple-A innings this year have produced a 5.68 ERA, though with some positive signs. He has struck out 28.8% of batters at that level with no walks given out. The high ERA is on account of three home runs surrendered, a 55.6% strand rate and .353 batting average on balls in play.
He had a frustrating 2023 season but was in good form in the two seasons prior to that. Last year, a hip strain cost him a couple of months of the season and he struggled when on the mound. He had an 8.31 ERA in 13 MLB innings as well as a 6.86 ERA in 59 Triple-A innings.
He spent 2021 and 2022 as a long reliever with the Padres. In 95 appearances, he pitched 148 2/3 innings with a 3.39 ERA. His strikeout rate of 21.6% and walk rate of 7.3% were both near to average, but he had a high ground ball rate of 50.6%. Crismatt has appeared on the Dodgers’ transaction logs several times as a result of the team’s constant turnover in the bullpen. This time, he’ll change organizations and see if he can carve out a place in Arlington. The Rangers presently have 10 pitchers on the injured list, with Dane Dunning slated to return and start today’s game. That still leaves them with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Tyler Mahle, Cody Bradford, and Nathan
