Real Salt Lake re-signed veteran defender Tony Beltran, the team announced Tuesday.

“Tony is part of the fiber of this club,” RSL general manager Craig Waibel said in a news release. “Even as our roster evolves with a young core in place, it’s important to have players like Tony who are more than capable in their positions and excellent leaders in the locker room as well.”

Beltran missed the entire 2018 season due to his recovery from a knee injury. While he did not play a single minute for RSL, he did appear on the reserve list in the team’s final game of the season, signaling that he had made a full recovery.

Beltran’s option was declined by RSL, and he was left unprotected in the expansion draft. The club and its players, however, raved about Beltran’s veteran presence for much of last season.

“I am very happy that we were able to re-sign Tony,” head coach Mike Petke said in the release. “He is someone that embodies the character, professionalism and playing ability that I want to represent this team.”

Beltran represent’s RSL’s second official roster move this offseason. The team picked Donny Toia, a former RSL homegrown player, in the re-entry draft last week.