Rangers designate Tommy Hottovy for assignment

The Texas Rangers have designated left-hander Tommy Hottovy for assignment to make room on the roster for new designated hitter Lance Berkman, the team has announced:

To make room for Berkman on the 40-man roster, the club has designated left-handed pitcher Tommy Hottovy (pronounced HAWT-uh-vee) for assignment.

The 31-year-old Hottovy was picked up by the Rangers in a trade for a player to be named later or cash with the Kansas City Royals in early November. The southpaw appeared in just nine games for the Royals' big-league squad in 2012, posting a 2.89 ERA and striking out six in 9⅓ innings of work.

Hottovy spent the majority of last season with the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate in Omaha, posting a stellar 2.52 ERA and striking out 11 batters per nine in 50 innings of work. Texas has several southpaw options for the bullpen -- including Martin Perez, Robbie Ross, and Michael Kirkman -- so unless Hottovy is able to replicate his 2012 numbers, he may not be needed at the big-league level in 2013.