The Los Angeles Dodgers made a straight bullpen swap on Tuesday, recalling Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designating Jonathan Hernández for assignment. It is a move that changes the right-handed mix immediately, while putting Hernández on a short clock over what happens next.
Mills is back for his second stint with the Dodgers, and the club will be hoping he can offer more than he did earlier this season. In a four-game run with Los Angeles, he posted an 8.10 ERA, but his work in Triple-A Oklahoma City has been stronger, with a 2.64 ERA in 26 games, a 4-4 record and 45 strikeouts across 30.2 innings.
What the Dodgers are getting from Wyatt Mills
The appeal for Los Angeles is clear enough. Mills has given them steadier results at Triple-A, and the Dodgers have decided that form is enough to bring him back into the major-league picture. For a bullpen that is always under scrutiny, even a modest improvement in efficiency can matter.
His earlier Dodgers stint was brief and difficult, but the organization has seen enough at Oklahoma City to give him another chance. That suggests the recall is about recent performance as much as long-term projection.
Jonathan Hernández's brief Dodgers stay
Hernández's time with the Dodgers ends after only 12 appearances. He signed a major league contract with Los Angeles in May after opting out of a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he has not been able to settle into a reliable role.
Before the move, the 29-year-old had a 0-1 record and a 6.35 ERA in 17.2 innings for the Dodgers. On Monday in West Sacramento, he allowed one run on two hits in 1.1 innings of relief, but that outing was not enough to save his roster spot.
What happens next?
Hernández, who originally signed with the Texas Rangers as a minor league free agent in January 2013, now enters the next stage of the process. Within seven days, he can be traded or placed on waivers depending on what the Dodgers and the rest of the league decide.
For Los Angeles, the move is a reminder that bullpen spots can change quickly. For Mills, it is another chance to stick. For Hernández, it is a waiting game.
