Dodgers Lose Reliever to Washington Nationals

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost sidearming right-handed pitcher Wyatt Mills on a waiver claim to the Washington Nationals on Thursday.

Mills was designated for assignment when the Dodgers made a series of roster moves to accommodate the newcomers they acquired at the trade deadline Monday.

The Washington Nationals have claimed Wyatt Mills off outright waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and optioned him to Triple-A Rochester.

In addition, Joey Wiemer cleared unconditional release waivers and is now a free agent.
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) August 6, 2026

The Dodgers also selected the contract of right-handed reliever Jonathan Hernández, who effectively took Mills' spot in their bullpen. Hernández pitched twice in the Dodgers' series against the Chicago Cubs. He did not allow a run in either game while retiring eight batters.

The Dodgers originally signed Mills to a minor league contract in August 2025. He spent most of his time in the organization at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

In 33 games with the Comets, Mills went 4-4 with a 2.41 ERA. He was striking out 33.1% of batters in the Pacific Coast League.

Those numbers didn't hold up in his six major league appearances with the Dodgers.

Mills made six appearances with the Dodgers across three separate stints in their bullpen. He effectively worked a mop-up role, never seeing action in any high-leverage situations.

In his last outing, Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, Mills allowed two runs over the final two innings of an 8-4 loss. The only other outing in which he allowed a run was May 11 against the San Francisco Giants, when he squandered three runs in the final inning of an eventual 9-3 loss.

The Dodgers' bullpen features a litany of talented but injured veterans. Brock Stewart (shoulder) and Blake Treinen (elbow) were ticketed for high-leverage roles before they landed on the injured list. Will Klein (elbow) and Seth Halvorsen (acquired before the trade deadline) offer high velocity from the right side.

Regardless of whether they're at full health in time for the postseason, the Dodgers' bullpen had no room on its depth chart for Mills, a journeyman who had only seen action in parts of two MLB seasons coming into 2026.

Mills was drafted in the third round by the Seattle Mariners in 2017. He made his MLB debut on May 1, 2021 against the Los Angeles Angels and totaled 11 appearances in his rookie season.

Mills made eight appearances out of the Mariners’ bullpen in 2022, logging a 4.15 ERA and six strikeouts in 8.2 innings. Seattle traded Mills to the Kansas City Royals for first baseman Carlos Santana and cash midway through the season.

With the Royals, Mills made a career-high 19 appearances and posted a 4.79 ERA in 2022. That was the last time he had appeared in a big-league game before the Dodgers purchased his contract from Triple-A in May.

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