The Los Angeles Dodgers shuffled their right-handed bullpen options Tuesday, promoting Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designating Jonathan Hernndez for assignment prior to the second game of their road series against the Athletics.
Mills, 31, returns for his second stint with the Dodgers after posting a 2.64 ERA in 26 games for the Comets. He had a 4-4 record and 45 strikeouts in 30.2 innings for the Dodgers' top farm team.
In a four-game stint with the Dodgers earlier this season, Mills had an ERA of 8.10. A sidewinder, Mills offers hitters a different look from the right side than any other Dodgers righty, and gets the most out of his 90-mph heater by throwing it relatively sparingly.
This is Mills' third MLB stop, following stints with the Seattle Mariners (2021-22) and Kansas City Royals (2022). Overall, he has a 0-1 record with a 6.35 ERA in 42 major league games.
Hernndez, 29, had an 8.15 ERA in 17.2 innings with the Dodgers this season. In 1.1 innings of relief on Monday in West Sacramento, he allowed one run on two hits.
Hernndez made 12 appearances for the Dodgers after he was signed to a major league contract in May, days after he opted out of a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies .
The right-hander has been in the major leagues for parts of five seasons with the Texas Rangers (2019-24), Seattle Mariners (2024) and Dodgers, going 13-8 with a 4.69 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 170.2 innings.
A veteran of 14 professional seasons, Hernndez originally signed with the Texas Rangers as a minor league free agent in January 2013.
Within seven days, Hernndez can either be traded or placed on outright or unconditional release waivers. If he is claimed off waivers by another team, he will immediately join their 40-man roster. He cannot be optioned to the minor leagues, which is why the Dodgers had to DFA him to clear a spot on their active roster.
The Dodgers will send starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski to the mound against the A's. The sidearming left-hander offers an opposite look from the opposite hand as Mills, so the timing of the shuffle - on the heels of a rough outing by Hernndez on Monday at Sutter Health Park - makes too much sense.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/dodgers/onsi as Dodgers Cut Ties With Veteran Pitcher, Promote Wyatt Mills .
