Dawson lands with Rakuten Monkeys after comeback from ACL injury

Ronnie Dawson is headed to Taiwan after the Lexington Legends sold his contract to the Rakuten Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League on June 23, another sharp turn in a career that has already run through Major League Baseball, South Korea and a major knee injury. The Legends framed the move as the latest stage in a comeback, not just a roster change.

Dawson gave Lexington enough production to make the jump possible. In 32 games for the Legends this season, he hit .315 with eight home runs, 28 RBI, seven doubles and a .581 slugging percentage. That kind of line plays in any league, especially from a veteran in the middle of a playoff race, and it is exactly the kind of performance that keeps overseas doors open.

The move also reflected what Dawson rebuilt after tearing the ACL in his right knee in 2024 while with the Kiwoom Heroes. His 2024 KBO line was elite before the injury stopped it cold, with a .330 average, 126 hits, 31 doubles, 11 home runs and 57 RBI in 95 games. The year before, he hit .336 with 77 hits, 29 RBI and nine stolen bases in 57 games. For a player whose season was interrupted by a collision in late May 2024 and a second exam that confirmed the damage, getting back to this level was the story.

Dawson’s path has never been ordinary. He was drafted by Houston in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft, 61st overall, out of Ohio State and made his MLB debut on April 14, 2021. His big-league line remained brief, with eight at-bats and a .125 average, but his work in college and overseas kept the next opportunities coming. Ohio State said he became the first Buckeye to finish a career with at least 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases, a footprint that hinted at the all-around profile scouts saw long before the injuries and detours.

Lexington had already brought Dawson back once before, announcing his return on August 13, 2025. This time, the exit was the reward for getting healthy, producing and proving he still belonged on a bigger stage. For the Legends and the Atlantic League, it was another reminder that the league can be a reset point for veterans who are still building toward the next contract, the next league and, in Dawson’s case, another country.