Evan Phillips was back with the Dodgers on July 6, 2026, the club activating the right-hander after he finished his rehab work from last year’s Tommy John surgery. To make room, the Dodgers optioned Paul Gervase to Oklahoma City and cleared two more 40-man spots in a set of roster moves announced before their series opener against the Rockies.
Phillips returned after 13 months since Tommy John surgery and after 10 innings in Triple-A that looked like the old version of him. He allowed two runs, struck out 13 and averaged 96 mph with his four-seam fastball, while his cutter sat around 92 mph. That is the part that matters most for the Dodgers right now: the stuff was back, even if the command was not. He walked five and hit two batters during the assignment, signs that the final step is still getting the ball where he wants it.
Dave Roberts said the night before that Phillips was on the way back, and the club moved accordingly. Carlos Durán was added to the 40-man roster but stayed at Triple-A Oklahoma City on an optional assignment, a reminder that a player can be on the roster without being summoned to the majors. The Dodgers also released Jake Eder and designated Chuckie Robinson for assignment to create the additional room, with Durán, Eder and Robinson all tied to the same bullpen-and-catcher shuffle.
Durán’s path has been steadier than flashy. He signed a minor league contract last offseason, has spent most of his career in the Dodgers organization and spent the entire season in Oklahoma City, where he posted a 3.86 earned run average across 35 innings with a 30.7% strikeout rate and a walk rate above 15%. Robinson’s exit was more abrupt. He had filled in behind Dalton Rushing when Will Smith went on the injured list, but he went 2-for-23 in eight games and has a.124 batting average in 60 MLB games. Eder, meanwhile, had only just arrived from the Nationals in a cash trade in early April, then got hurt last week and ended up on release waivers after four innings in four games.
Phillips’ return gives the Dodgers a late-season bullpen option they have missed for more than a year, but it is hard to read this as an instant return to the highest-leverage innings. The velocity says he is close. The walks say the club may ease him in first, then decide how quickly to trust him when the game tightens.
