Los Angeles Dodgers Aquire Jim Thome and Jon Garland

(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

In two separate deals, the National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers acquired veteran slugger Jim Thome and pitcher Jon Garland, according to the team on Monday just minutes prior to the deadline for postseason eligibility.

Thome, of the Chicago White Sox, cleared waivers and will be eligible to play for Los Angeles in the postseason, according to the L.A. Times. Thome was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league infielder Justin Fuller and cash. Fuller, 26, is currently hitting .254 in the minors.

Thome is hitting .249/.372/.493 this season for the White Sox for an OPS of .864, more than 100 points better than Dodgers first baseman James Loney's .738. Thome, 39, has 564 career home runs but hasn't played first base since 2007. He'll likely be relegated to pinch-hitting duties with a start here and there.

Thome will bring the team extra power from the left side of the plate. The five-time All-Star has 23 home runs and 74 RBI this season and is 12th on the all-time home run list, with 564.

Thome will be a great acquisition for the Dodgers to deliver some punch off the bench they need in the later innings.

Additionally, Garland, a right-handed pitcher, was traded to Los Angeles Monday for a player to be named later. He cleared waivers during the game with the Dodgers, leaving the Diamondbacks dugout to switch sides just after 9 p.m.

Garland, originally from Southern California, returns home and will most likely make his first start against his former team this Thursday.

Garland is currently 8-11 with a 4.29 ERA, but he could provide the Dodgers with a reliable fifth starter. Los Angeles' starting pitching has been inconsistent this year, and the rotation was further weakened with the loss of Hiroki Kuroda, who was struck in the head by a line drive on Aug. 15.

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