The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Charlie Barnes and optioned Wyatt Mills back to Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of Wednesday’s game against the A’s.
Mills returns to the Minors one day after he was added onto the Dodgers roster to be a fresh arm in their bullpen. That coincided with Jonathan Hernández getting designated for assignment.
Mills struck out the side in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 9-3 win at Sutter Health Park. The appearance was his fifth of the season for L.A. The right-hander has not allowed a run in four of those games.
While with the Comets this season, Mills has gone 4-4 with six saves, a 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 26 games. He originally joined the Dodgers organization on a Minor League contract last August.
Charlie Barnes back with Dodgers
Barnes is now up for his second stint with the team this season. Barnes previously was recalled in May when Blake Snell landed on the 15-day injured list.
Barnes appeared in two games, throwing two scoreless innings, before getting optioned after a brief stay. The southpaw nevertheless did play a part in the Dodgers bullpen breaking the franchise record scoreless innings streak.
The Dodgers acquired Barnes on May 9 by claiming him off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Barnes made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2021, going 0-3 with a 5.92 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in nine games (eight starts). The 30-year-old was selected by the Twins in the fourth round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Thus far with Oklahoma City, Barnes has gone 2-1 with a 3.67 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in six appearances.
Barnes joins the Dodgers as a fresh option for their planned bullpen game in the series finale against the A’s. Shohei Ohtani had been scheduled to start but the team elected to push that back to Friday.
Manager Dave Roberts noted the extra rest between pitching starts is particularly beneficial as the Dodgers are in the midst of playing 13 games in a row, and it allows for Ohtani to face two National League West opponents before the All-Star break in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Moreover, it gives the Dodgers the option to also line Ohtani up to start their first game out of the All-Star break.
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