Eliezer Alfonzo injury: Dodgers catcher has dengue virus, will report to minor league camp

The offseason for catcher Eliezer Alfonzo went from bad to worse, as the non-roster invitee has dengue virus, a disease caused by mosquito bites. The catcher is still in Venezuela and unable to fly for a period of five to seven days.

Alfonzo, one of four catchers to sign a minor league contract with the Dodgers this offseason, was already late in reporting to camp while dealing with a family illness, then was infected with the dengue virus. He played in the Mexican League last season and hit 15 home runs in 39 games. He last played in the major leagues in 2011 with the Rockies.

In parts of six seasons, Alfonzo hit .240/.271/.377 in 193 games for the Giants, Padres, Mariners, and Rockies.

When Alfonzo gets to camp, he will report to the minor league side. With 28 pitchers in camp, the need for a sixth catcher was met as Matt Wallach was officially added to major league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Wallach was a non-roster invitee to Dodgers camp in 2012, and appeared in six spring training games. He was 0-for-9 with a hit by pitch and a walk. Wallach, who turned 27 on Sunday, hit .232/.340/.321 in 59 games for Double-A Chattanooga in 2012.