Ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ series finale against the Atlanta Braves, the club has made a roster move. The Dodgers have selected right-hander Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Fellow right-hander Paul Gervase has been optioned to Triple-A to make space.
Manager Dave Roberts informed reporters, including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen, about the roster move.
Gervase pitched in mop-up duty in the Dodgers’ blowout loss to the Braves the night before, throwing 50 pitches to get the final nine outs of the game. With him sidelined for multiple days, the club elected to bring up a fresh arm ahead of a pivotal series finale that could have postseason implications.
Chen reports that the corresponding 40-man roster the Dodgers made is transferring Edwin Diaz to the 60-day injured list. That means the team will be without their star closer until June 19 at the earliest.
Dodgers to be Without Closer Until June
Los Angeles signed the flamethrower to a record $23MM per year contract to be their closer. After enduring closer drama that nearly undercut their 2025 championship season, the club spared no expense to land the top closer on the market.
Diaz lasted just seven appearances before being placed on the 15-day injured list on April 20 after undergoing a procedure to remove loose bodies in his right elbow.
Even without their star closer, the Dodgers’ bullpen has been a strength in 2026. The unit is fifth in MLB in ERA (3.36) and fourth in fWAR (1.9) entering play on May 10.
Tanner Scott, who the Dodgers signed the previous offseason to fulfill that role, has stepped up. The left-hander sports a 1.65 ERA, four saves, and seven holds in the 2026 season. He also leads the club with seven shutdowns.
Additionally, left-hander Alex Vesia and right-hander Blake Treinen have performed well. The duo has combined for 11 shutdowns and just three meltdowns, giving the Dodgers some reliability ahead of Scott.
With how strongly the unit is performing without him, Diaz’s return could make the Dodgers even more formidable down the stretch.
Dodgers Select Wyatt Mills from Triple-A
Mills, 31, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Gonzaga University. Four years later, the right-hander debuted with Seattle.
In his career, Mills has been traded twice and lost two seasons with an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery. 2025 marked the first season that the right-hander was healthy, pitching to a 3.12 ERA with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate. However, Boston elected to release him on August 5 due to 13.9% walk rate.
The Dodgers quickly swooped in to sign Mills on August 16. While he didn’t pitch for the organization in 2025, he began the year with Oklahoma City. In 14 appearances with the Comets, the right-hander pitched to a 3.26 ERA and three saves. In 19.1 innings, Mills posted an impressive 28 strikeouts compared to just seven walks.
Based on Statcast data from Oklahoma City, the right-hander throws four different pitches. He’ll mix in a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, and a slider from a sidearm slot. Mills operates in the low-90s for his fastball velocity, with the arm slot tough for right-handed hitters to pick up.
With the Dodgers, Mills gives them a right-handed option for the middle innings or a potential matchup arm. In Triple-A, he held right-handed hitters to a .171/.261/.244 slash with a 39.1% strikeout rate in 46 plate appearances.
Mills’ next appearance will be his first since the 2022 season, when he was a member of the Kansas City Royals.
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