Emilio José Bonifácio Del Rosario (born April 23, 1985) is a Dominican professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, basketball, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water ...

for the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

, who also captains the

Tigres del Licey Tigres del Licey (English: Licey Tigers) is a professional baseball team in the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM). The team was founded in 1907 and is based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Tigres is the oldest team in LIDOM and ...

of the

Dominican Professional Baseball League The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League ( or LIDOM) is a professional baseball winter league consisting of six teams spread across the Dominican Republic; it is the highest level of professional baseball played in the Dominican Repub ...

. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...

, Florida/Miami Marlins,

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...

, and

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

. Primarily a

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

and

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

throughout his career, Bonifácio has also played

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

and

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

Professional career

Arizona Diamondbacks (2001–2008)

On December 27, 2001, Bonifácio signed with the

as an international free agent. He made his professional debut in 2003 with the rookie-level

Missoula Osprey The Missoula PaddleHeads are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Missoula, Montana, and play their home games at Ogren Pa ...

. Bonifácio played in his first Major League game on September 2, 2007, when he was called up by the Diamondbacks. In 11 games during his rookie campaign, he went 5-for-23 (.217) with no home runs and two RBI. Bonifácio made 8 appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2008, going 2-for-12 (.167) with two RBI and one stolen base.

Washington Nationals (2008)

On July 22, 2008, Bonifácio was traded from the

Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established o ...

to the

in exchange for

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

Jon Rauch Jon Erich Rauch (born September 27, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. At , he is tied with Sean Hjelle as the tallest player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history. He is also an Olympic Gold Medalist in baseball. Ea ...

and was

optioned In the film industry, an option agreement is a contract that "rents" the rights to a source material to a potential film producer. It grants the film producer the exclusive option to purchase rights to the source material if they live up to the te ...

to the Triple-A

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, merch ...

. Bonifácio was called up to the majors (he played for the

South Bend Silver Hawks South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

before he entered the majors) by the Nationals on August 1, along with fellow middle infielder Alberto González. Bonifácio went 1 for 4, with an RBI,

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

, and a stolen base.

Florida / Miami Marlins (2009–2012)

On November 11, 2008, he was traded to the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. The team plays its home games at LoanDepot Park. The ...

for

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

Josh Willingham and pitcher

Scott Olsen Scott Matthew Olsen (born January 12, 1984) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals between 2005 and 2010. Early life Olsen was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He attended Cr ...

. On March 31, 2009, the Marlins announced that he would be their starting third baseman for the season. Bonifácio hit his first home run on April 5, 2009, an

inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a rare play in which a Batter (baseball), batter rounds all four bases for a home run without the baseball leaving the baseball field, field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-p ...

on opening day against the

. This home run marked the first time in forty-one years that an inside-the-park home run was hit on

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

; the last being hit in 1968 by

Carl Yastrzemski Carl Michael Yastrzemski Sr. ( ; born August 22, 1939), nicknamed "Yaz", is an American former professional baseball player who played his entire career with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He started his career primarily as a ...

. On May 1, 2011, he hit his first outside the park home run, in a game against the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...

. He had a 26-game hitting streak and a hit in 30 of 31 games during July 2011, the same month he won Player of the Month for the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

. During the beginning of the 2012 season, Bonifácio led the major league in stolen bases, was safe in his first 20 attempts. However, on May 21, he was placed on the disabled list after injuring his left thumb trying to steal second base; it was the first time he was caught stealing. Although he was placed on a 15-day DL, he was expected to miss at least 4–6 weeks. Bonifácio was activated on July 13, and replaced teammate

Giancarlo Stanton Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton (born November 8, 1989), formerly known as Mike Stanton, is an American professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in ML ...

, who went to the disabled list after having surgery on his right knee. He returned to the lineup against the

and went 0–3. On September 4, 2012, Bonifácio was knocked out for the rest of the 2012 season due to a right knee sprain.

Toronto Blue Jays (2013)

On November 19, 2012, Bonifácio was traded to the

along with Josh Johnson, José Reyes, John Buck, and

Mark Buehrle Mark Alan Buehrle (; born March 23, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Chicago White Sox, playing twelve seasons for the team and winning the World ...

, in exchange for

Jeff Mathis Jeffrey Stephen Mathis (born March 31, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Range ...

Adeiny Hechavarria Adeiny Hechavarría Barrera (born April 15, 1989) is a Cuban professional baseball shortstop for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Ta ...

Henderson Álvarez Henderson Javier Álvarez (born April 18, 1990) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2011 through 2012, the Miami Marlins from 20 ...

Yunel Escobar Yunel Escobar Almenares (born November 2, 1982) is a Cuban-born American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Washington Na ...

Jake Marisnick Jacob Shawn Marisnick (born March 30, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Dieg ...

Anthony DeSclafani Anthony James DeSclafani (born April 18, 1990) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Miami Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Gia ...

, and Justin Nicolino. On January 18, 2013, it was announced that the Blue Jays had avoided arbitration with Bonifácio, signing him to a one-year contract worth $2.6 million. Bonifácio opened the season as Toronto's second baseman, but he also got time in the outfield at the start of the season, mainly when

Maicer Izturis Maicer Eduardo Izturis (; born September 12, 1980) is a Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder. During his career he played for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB ...

, the opening day third baseman, would play second base. Through April, Izturis had more starts at second base than Bonifácio. After the Opening Day shortstop José Reyes was injured and replacement

Munenori Kawasaki is a Japanese former professional baseball shortstop and second baseman. He last played for the Tochigi Golden Braves of Baseball Challenge League in Japan. Previously, Kawasaki played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftB ...

struggled, Izturis got more time at shortstop, giving Bonifácio the bulk of the starts at second base in May and June, with

Mark DeRosa Mark Thomas DeRosa (born February 26, 1975) is an American former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 to 2013. He played for the Atlanta Braves (1998–2004), Texas Rangers (2005–2006), Chicago Cub ...

also getting starts at second. Bonifácio was used more off the bench in July after slumping to a .203 start with 51 strikeouts through the first 3 months of the season. He was used at left field more when

Melky Cabrera Melky Cabrera Astacio (born August 11, 1984), nicknamed "the Melkman", is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blu ...

hurt his knee on August 1, and he also got time at center field when

Colby Rasmus Colby Ryan Rasmus (born August 11, 1986) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles. He ha ...

hurt his oblique on August 11. In 94 games with the Blue Jays, he hit .218 with 3 HR, 20 RBI and 66 strikeouts.

Kansas City Royals (2013)

On August 14, 2013, Bonifácio was traded to the

in exchange for cash or a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

. Bonifácio recorded his 500th career hit on August 17, 2013. Bonifácio was used mostly at second base with the Royals in 2013, but also saw time at third base and center field. In 42 games with the Royals in 2013, he hit .285 with 8 XBH, 11 RBI and 21 runs. Overall in 2013 (136 games), he hit .243 with 3 HR, 31 RBI, 54 runs, 103 strikeouts. Due to Bonifácio's outstanding speed in 2013, Emilio stole 28 bases in 36 attempts. He was designated for assignment on February 1, 2014, and released on February 12.

Chicago Cubs (2014)

Bonifácio was signed to a minor league contract by the

on February 15, 2014. On March 30, 2014, the Cubs announced that he had made the opening day roster. Bonifácio hit his first home run as a Cub on June 7, snapping the longest homer-less streak of any active player, excluding pitchers. Bonifácio holds the record for most hits in his first seven games as a Cub, with 17.

Atlanta Braves (2014)

On July 31, 2014, Bonifácio was traded along with James Russell to the

in exchange for catching prospect Víctor Caratini.

Chicago White Sox (2015)

On January 8, 2015, Bonifácio signed a one-year, $4 million, contract with the

. He was placed on the disabled list on July 29, and reinstated on August 14. Bonifácio was designated for assignment on August 16, 2015 and released two days later. In 2015 with the White Sox he batted .167/.198/.192 in 78 at bats.Emilio Bonifacio Minor, Winter & Independent Leagues Statistics & History , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref>

Chicago Cubs (second stint)

On August 25, 2015, Bonifácio signed a minor league contract to return to the

. In 13 games for the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...

, he slashed .469/.544/.510 with no home runs, three RBI, and six stolen bases.

Second stint with the Braves (2016–2017)

On December 18, 2015, Bonifácio signed a one-year contract worth $1.25 million to return to the

. The team designated him for assignment on April 2, 2016, and he was officially released on April 6. The Braves resigned Bonifácio to a minor league contract on April 10, 2016. The Braves purchased his contract on May 1. However, Bonifácio was not eligible for a call up until May 7, as

ruled that the team had to wait 30 days after Bonifacio's release date of April 6 to recall him. Bonifácio was designated him for assignment for the second time on July 7. In 2016 with the Braves he batted .211/.268/.211 in 38 at bats. In December 2016, Bonifácio signed a new minor league contract with the Braves organization. In 2017 with the Braves, Bonifácio batted .132/.150/.211 in 38 at bats. He was designated for assignment on June 2, 2017, and released on June 6.

Arizona Diamondbacks (second stint)

On July 31, 2017, Bonifácio signed a minor league contract with the

organization. In 28 games split between the Double–A

Jackson Generals The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (SL) as the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs (1998–2006), Seattle Mari ...

and the Triple–A

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, w ...

, Bonifacio hit .302/.336/.425 with 1 home run, 7 RBI, and 9 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Long Island Ducks

On May 8, 2018, Bonifácio signed with the

Long Island Ducks The Long Island Ducks are an American professional minor league baseball team based on Long Island in Central Islip, New York. The Ducks compete in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent "par ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and the headquarters are l ...

. In 70 games for the Ducks, he batted .348/.385/.458 with three home runs, 36 RBI, and 20 stolen bases.

Milwaukee Brewers

On August 31, 2018, Bonifácio signed a minor league contract with the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...

. In five games for the Triple–A Colorado Springs SkySox, he went 3–for–13 (.231) with three RBI. Bonifácio elected free agency on November 2.

Tampa Bay Rays

On January 28, 2019, Bonifácio signed a minor league contract with the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

that included an invitation to

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

. He was released on March 29, but re–signed with the Rays on another minor league contract on April 3. In 76 games for the Triple–A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

, Bonifácio slashed .286/.353/.475 with eight home runs, 36 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Second stint with Nationals (2020)

On January 28, 2020, Bonifácio signed a minor league contract with the

organization. On July 23, Bonifacio was selected to Washington's

roster for the truncated 2020 season. In 3 games for the Nationals, he went 0-for-3 with no home runs or RBI. On August 6, Bonifácio was designated for assignment by Washington. He elected free agency on August 8.

Toros de Tijuana

On February 3, 2025, after four years of inactivity, Bonifácio signed with the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (English: Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican baseball team based in Tijuana, Mexico, that competes in the Mexican Baseball League. The team plays its home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The franchise w ...

of the

. In 36 appearances for Tijuana, he slashed .211/.353/.298 with eight home runs, 10 RBI, and three stolen bases. Bonifácio was released by the Toros on July 5.

Rieleros de Aguascalientes

On July 8, 2025, Bonifácio was claimed off waivers by the

Rieleros de Aguascalientes The Rieleros de Aguascalientes (English: Aguascalientes Railroaders) are a professional baseball team based in Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes that competes in the Mexican League. Established in 1975, the Rieleros have won the Mexican League cha ...

of the

. In three games for Aguascalientes, he went 3-for-13 (.231) with one home run, one RBI, and one walk. Bonifácio was released by the Rieleros on July 11.

Guerreros de Oaxaca

On July 11, 2025, Bonifácio signed with the

of the

Personal life

His younger brother, Jorge Bonifacio, also plays professional baseball. As a kid, growing up in the city of

Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...

, he started learning to play baseball in a small baseball field located a street below "el Parque Mirador Sur", where kids of all ages played for the league "Abraham" ("Liga Abraham" in Spanish).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonifacio, Emilio 1985 births Living people Arizona Diamondbacks players Arizona League Cubs players Atlanta Braves players Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic medalists in baseball Olympic bronze medalists for the Dominican Republic Charlotte Knights players Chicago Cubs players Chicago White Sox players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Columbus Clippers players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Durham Bulls players Florida Marlins players Gwinnett Braves players Iowa Cubs players Jackson Generals (Southern League) players Jupiter Hammerheads players Kansas City Royals players Lancaster JetHawks players Long Island Ducks players Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic 21st-century Dominican Republic sportsmen Major League Baseball second basemen Miami Marlins players Missoula Osprey players Mobile BayBears players Navegantes del Magallanes players New Orleans Zephyrs players Reno Aces players Rieleros de Aguascalientes players South Bend Silver Hawks players Baseball players from Santo Domingo Tennessee Smokies players Tigres del Licey players Toronto Blue Jays players Toros de Tijuana players Tucson Sidewinders players Washington Nationals players Olympic baseball players for the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Venezuela