The Dodgers made a clean roster swap on June 30, 2026, recalling Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designating Jonathan Hernández for assignment as the corresponding move. Hernández, who had been signed to a major league deal just over six weeks earlier, was removed from the 40-man roster to make room.
That is why Hernández is being searched now: the move put his future in limbo and immediately changed the Dodgers’ bullpen picture. He had made 12 appearances, worked in low leverage and thrown 17 2/3 innings, but the results were rough, with an 8.15 ERA, an 18.1% strikeout rate and a 14.5% walk rate.
The next step is built into the rules. Because Hernández was out of options, the Dodgers had to take him off the 40-man roster rather than simply send him down. Once a player enters DFA status, the club has a limited window to work out a trade, place him on waivers or make another move, and if he clears waivers he would have the right to elect free agency.
There is still a reason another club could look twice. Hernández has shown velocity that reaches about 97 miles per hour with both his four-seamer and sinker, and that kind of arm can keep interest alive even after a poor stretch in the majors. He also carries the sort of track record teams understand: a previous career outright and at least three years of service time, which means the waiver and DFA path matters as much as the raw stuff.
For the Dodgers, the immediate consequence is simpler. Mills is back from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and one roster spot opened because Hernández had to go. The question now is not whether the move happened, but whether another team decides the arm is worth the claim before Hernández either clears waivers or chooses free agency.
