The Los Angeles Dodgers will shuffle their bullpen ahead of the middle game of their series against the Boston Red Sox . In addition to Kyle Hurt , the club has added right-hander Wyatt Mills .
As the corresponding roster move, the Dodgers have placed right-hander Will Klein on the 15-day injured list and designated left-hander Cole Irvin for assignment.
Irvin, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers ahead of the 2026 season. The left-hander's career includes stops in Philadelphia , Oakland, Baltimore , Minnesota , and now Los Angeles. In 135 games, 93 starts, Irvin owns a 4.58 ERA across 599 innings.
The decision comes after Cole Irvin's Dodgers debut. The left-hander provided six innings of relief, but took the loss against the Red Sox in the series opener. It marked his first MLB appearance since 2024.
The Dodgers turned to Irvin to give them cover in a bullpen game. Their rotation has taken a hit with Shohei Ohtani 's knee injury affecting his ability to pitch. Now that Irvin has provided the innings they'll need, the Dodgers will move on.
This also could be an indication that a move could be in the works. Irvin's DFA opens a 40-man roster spot, which could go toward a trade acquisition. The club may be nearing a deal, as two of their top prospects were scratched from their game in Double-A Tulsa .
The Dodgers will have five days to either trade, release, or outright Irvin to the minor leagues. Most likely the club will try to pass the left-hander through waivers and try to outright him to Triple-A Oklahoma City as depth.
However, Irvin can reject his outright assignment. Doing so would require him to forfeit the remainder of his 2026 salary. Spotrac has him at $850K, so accepting the outright assignment would get him paid $263K for the rest of the season.
Irvin could then become a free agent after the season.
The other significant move is the Dodgers placing Will Klein on the injured list with right elbow discomfort. That's concerning news, as any elbow or shoulder injury requires further scrutiny.
The Dodgers turned to Klein to open the game ahead of Irvin in the Red Sox opener. It marked the fifth straight appearance that the right-hander surrendered a run. In that stretch, his ERA has ballooned from 2.27 to 3.67.
What hurts the Dodgers is that they lose valuable reliever depth. While Klein is not a back-of-the-bullpen arm, his ability to wear multiple hats has helped them navigate the season.
His velocity had been down, averaging under 97 MPH in three of his last four appearances. It's unclear if that's linked to the elbow injury.
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