Dodgers call up 100-mph fireballer Jose Dominguez

As Jose Dominguez talked about realizing his lifelong dream of reaching the major leaguers, Scott Van Slyke walked by and said, “You can write that he throws 103.”

Dominguez laughed.

A 22-year-old right-handed reliever from the Dominican Republic, Dominguez has, in fact, been clocked at 103 mph.

Dominguez was called up to the major leagues for the first time Saturday, replacing Peter Moylan on the Dodgers’ roster. Moylan was optioned to triple-A Albuquerque.

Dominguez is said to hit 100 mph consistently.

“Last year, I was throwing 97, 98,” Dominguez said. “Occasionally, I’d touch 100. This year, I’ve been more consistent.”

The increased velocity has led to improved results. Dominguez didn’t give up any runs in eight appearances for Albuquerque. Earlier in the season, he posted 2.60 earned-run average in 14 appearances for double-A Chattanooga.

But Dominguez comes to the Dodgers with considerable baggage.

He started this season serving a 25-game suspension for an unspecified violation of baseball’s drug policy. The suspension was the second of his career. In September 2009, he was hit with a 50-game ban for testing positive for steroids.

“I’d prefer not to talk about that,” Dominguez said.

But Dominguez insists he is a changed person.

“It helped me understand that I don’t need anything,” he said. “What I have is something that God gave me.”

Dominguez signed with the Dodgers in 2007 for $50,000. He played three years with the Dodgers’ Dominican summer league team and came to the United States in 2011.

Dominguez said he is the cousin of Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Alex Colome and the nephew of former major league pitcher Jesus Colome.