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Dodgers designate Ramon Troncoso for assignment

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Well, he’ll always have 2009.

But anything resembling that nice season is looking pretty unlikely for reliever Ramon Troncoso after the Dodgers designated him for assignment Thursday to make room for Ronald Belisario on the 40-man roster.

Nothing about the move was exactly surprising. Troncoso was out of options and clearly wasn’t going to make the team. And Belisario can’t start serving his 25-game suspension until he’s on the roster

Troncoso is 29 and likely to clear waivers, so it’s not like he can’t return to triple-A, though he may also be ready for a fresh start.

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He looked like a promising reliever in 2009, when Joe Torre fell in love with him -- maybe a little too hard -- and used him in 73 games. He had a 2.72 ERA and even picked up six saves that season.

He started 2010 off well too, owning a 1.59 ERA after his first six appearances. But Torre used him 15 times during a 21-game stretch, and he was never really the same again. It’s easy to blame Torre, but Troncoso only pitched 13 innings in those 15 games.

Last year, he didn’t make the club out of spring, then did the yo-yo thing back and forth between Albuquerque and the Dodgers. In 18 appearances he had a 6.75 ERA.

He was at the back of the line this spring too, the final spot in the bullpen more a battle between Jamey Wright and John Grabow, with Josh Lindblom, Scott Rice and Fernando Nieve all ahead of him.

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Dodgers designate Ramon Troncoso for assignment

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