Dodgers Cut Ties With Veteran Pitcher, Promote Wyatt Mills

Dodgers Cut Ties With Veteran Pitcher, Promote Wyatt Mills

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The Los Angeles Dodgers shuffled their right-handed bullpen options Tuesday, promoting Wyatt Mills from Triple-A Oklahoma City and designating Jonathan Hernández 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.

Dodgers Designate Jonathan Hernandez for Assignment

Hernández, 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.

Hernández 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, Hernández originally signed with the Texas Rangers as a minor league free agent in January 2013.

Within seven days, Hernández 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 Hernández on Monday at Sutter Health Park — makes too much sense.

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J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

Latest Lakers Free Agency Rumors and Tracker

Latest Lakers Free Agency Rumors and Tracker

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NBA free agency is officially underway, with the Los Angeles Lakers expected to be as busy as any team in the league, with several players on the current roster hitting the open market.

The primary goal is to build a title contender around superstar guard Luka Doncic, which will be easier said than done, even with a league-high $52 million in cap space at the Lakers' disposal.

June 30 (Start of Free Agency)

Tobias Harris & Dean Wade Receive Interest From Lakers

The Lakers have yet to make a signing in NBA free agency, but the team does have interest in some notable free agents, with Tobias Harris and Dean Wade being the latest getting mentioned by ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Although Harris is not the player he once was with the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers, the veteran wing can still make an impact on the floor.

During the 2025-26 campaign with the Detroit Pistons, Harris averaged 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from deep.

As for Wade, the Kansas State product averaged a career-high 22.3 minutes per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers, putting up 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three-point range.

Lakers Remain Interested in Walker Kessler

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, restricted free agent Walker Kessler is holding meetings with interested teams, with the Lakers being one of those teams.

All signs have pointed to the Utah Jazz, much like the Detroit Pistons with Jalen Duren, will match any offer sheet signed by Kessler.

However, there's a chance that the Lakers' offer is sizable enough that the Jazz might be forced to make a tough decision, resulting in a potential sign-and-trade scenario.

It's early in the process, but it's not beyond the realm of possiblity that the Lakers can figure out a way to land this elite center this summer.

Lakers Set to Meet With Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Lakers didn't make any signings immediately after NBA free agency began on Tuesday, but they are set to meet with a potential solid addition to the squad in veteran wing Kelly Oubre Jr., according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.

Oubre spent the last three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 46.7 percent from the field and a career-high 36 percent from beyond the arc.

The 30-year-old would be an interesting addition to the Lakers roster, providing some defense and shooting.

Lakers' Free Agency Targets Emerge

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers have a list of targets heading into NBA free agency, including two of their own players: Luke Kennard and Rui Hachimura.

The other names aren't all that surprising: Jalen Duren, Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, Mitchell Robinson and Sandro Mamukelashvili.

It'll be interesting to see which of these players are actually realistic targets for the Lakers once the madness gets underway on Tuesday afternoon.

Lakers Linked to Quentin Grimes & Sandro Mamukelashvili

It appears that former Dallas Mavericks teammate Quentin Grimes could reunite with Luka Doncic on the Lakers, as he and Toronto Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili might be targets for Los Angeles in NBA free agency, according to Yossi Gozlan.

Interesting moves as signing both players still preserves cap space for Rob Pelinka and company to use to land a potential game-changing player this summer.

LeBron James Won't Return to Lakers

Ahead of the start of free agency on June 30, the Lakers were informed that superstar forward LeBron James has decided to leave the storied franchise after eight years with the team.

James has let it be known that he will play a record-setting 24th season in the NBA, but it won't be with the Lakers, as he intends to sign elsewhere.

However, despite the constant speculation about his immediate future, he hasn't made a decision on which team he'll be joining as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The rumors swirling around the league have James linked to the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat or a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a third and final stint with the team that drafted him back in 2003.

June 29

Marcus Smart Trending Toward Leaving Lakers

After one season with the Lakers, all signs are pointing toward Marcus Smart leaving the team as an unrestricted free agent after he opted out of the final year of his deal with the franchise.

Ever since the end of the 2025-26 campaign, the rumors circulating about Smart have been that the Lakers want him back, even if he opts out of his deal in hopes of landing a long-term deal. The one-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year exceeded expectations last season while becoming the backbone of the defense and a leader in the locker room for Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets appear ready to swoop in sign him to a three-year deal worth $21 million. It remains to be seen if the Lakers are willing to offer the same in order to prevent Smart reuniting with his former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka in Houston.

Deandre Ayton Opts in to Stay With Lakers

Much like Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton had a player opton on his two-year deal with the Lakers.

Unlike Smart, the veteran center has decided to opt into that $8.1 million for the 2026-27 campaign, securing his future in purple and gold for the time being.

However, with the Lakers determined to land an A-list center this summer, Ayton could be on the move in a trade before next season.

June 28

Rui Hachimura Set to Draw Interest From Spurs & Nets

Sharpshooting forward Rui Hachimura will have no lack of interest when he hits NBA free agency, with the San Antonio Spurs and Brooklyn Nets expected to pursue him.

Hachimura is coming off a season in which he became one of the best stretch fours in the NBA, putting on the show with his outside shooting during the regular season which carried over the playoffs.

It remains uncertain how much the Lakers value the Japanese star and whether they can compete with the Spurs and Nets once free agency gets underway.

Lakers Make Chris Manon a Restricted Free Agent

After spending most of his rookie campaign with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, the defensive-minded guard was tendered a qualifying offer this summer, making him a restricted free agent.

Manon was a standout in the G League, proving to be one of the best defensive players on that level. He made the G League’s All-Defense team while also finishing second in the voting for the G League Defensive Player of the Year.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Manon in Los Angeles, but the team clearly seems to believe he might be able to be a formidable defender on the NBA level if given the opportunity.

June 24

Austin Reaves Signs 4-Year, $158 Million Contract With Lakers

The Lakers' top priority heading into the NBA offseason was securing the long-term future of Austin Reaves, who the team believes is the ideal player to pair with Luka Doncic in the backcourt in Los Angeles.

Although there were some doubts about whether a deal would get done that Reaves would agree to, the rising star didn't take long to agree to terms on a four-year, $158 million deal, making his contract the richest by an undrafted player in NBA history.

Doncic and Reaves will be leading the way in the Lakers' backcourt for the foreseeable future.

Lakers' Free Agents

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Ryan Ward is an NBA journalist and a credentialed reporter with more than 15 years of experience covering the league and the Los Angeles Lakers. He has written for ClutchPoints, Lakers Nation, Heavy, Rotowire and EssentiallySports. Ryan also produces a podcast and video content focused on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA at large.