Dodgers announce 2019 coaching staff

The Dodgers on Wednesday announced their coaching staff for the 2019 season, a group that includes four newcomers and three first-time major-league coaches.

As previously reported, Dino Ebel will join the club as the third-base coach after 14 seasons on the Angels’ coaching staff under Mike Scoscia and Robert Van Scoyoc will serve as hitting coach.

Before joining the Angels, the 52-year-old Ebel previously spent 17 seasons with the Dodgers’ as a minor-league player, coach, and manager. Ebel replaces Chris Woodward, who became the Texas Rangers’ manager earlier this month.

Van Scoyoc, 32, has never coached at the major-league level. He spent last season as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ hitting strategist and has worked with big leaguers individually during the offseason. He replaces Turner Ward, who left to become the Cincinnati Reds’ hitting coach.

Aaron Bates, 34, was named assistant hitting coach after four seasons as a coach in the Dodgers’ organization, replacing Luis Ortiz after he joined Woodward’s staff in Texas as hitting coach. Chris Gimenez, 35, will serve as the team’s game-planning coach. Gimenez ended his 10-year big-league career in 2018, playing in 25 games for the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs.

The remainder of the coaching staff remains intact under manager Dave Roberts, whose team option for the 2019 season was recently exercised. Bob Geren will return as Roberts’s bench coach for a fourth season, pitching coach Rick Honeycutt is returning for his 14^th season, George Lombard will coach first base for the fourth season, and bullpen coach Mark Prior and hitting strategist Brant Brown are slated to return for their second seasons.

Dodgers acquire left-hander, designate Pat Venditte for assignment

The Dodgers acquired left-hander Adam McCreery from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations and designated ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster.

McCreery, 25, is a 6-foot-9 sinkerballer who made his big-league debut in 2018, logging an inning for Atlanta. The reliever posted a 3.62 ERA in 42 appearances between double-A Mississippi and triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves’ organization.

Venditte, 33, was optioned to the minors eight times in 2018, but finished the regular season with the Dodgers and was effective in the majors, compiling a 2.57 ERA in 15 games.

jorge.castillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @jorgecastillo