Dodgers bullpen carousel officially starts to spin with easy swap for minor league pitcher

The Dodgers used 39 pitchers in 2023, 40 in 2024, and 40 in 2025 (if you count the position players). 40 games into their 2026 season, they're at 21.

Wyatt Mills got them over that halfway point on Sunday, when he was called up to replace Paul Gervase on the Dodgers' roster. He pitched 1/3 inning behind Justin Wrobleski's 8 2/3 start and gave up a run that was credited to Wrobleski.

Mills probably isn't going to be long for the active roster, but his arrival might signal the beginning of a trend Dodgers fans know all too well. The bullpen carousel, the revolving door, whatever you want to call it.

Wrobleski was only allowed to go so long despite giving up six runs before he was pulled because the Dodgers' bullpen was taxed. Relievers pitched 18 1/3 innings in LA's three prior games after an early exit for Tyler Glasnow against the Astros, then Emmet Sheehan against the Braves, and then Blake Snell against the Braves.

The good news: the Dodgers didn't make this particular shuffle because it was strictly necessary; they just wanted a fresh arm after Gervase pitched three innings behind Snell. The bad news: the Dodgers' rotation is either getting hurt (Glasnow) or underperforming.

Dodgers selecting Wyatt Mills hints at another year full of pitching roster moves

The Dodgers' pitching swaps have often been inexplicable. In the last three years, they've liked to leave one or two roster spots flexible to send guys up and down seemingly at random. They probably just wanted fresh arms whenever possible, but all of the maneuvering to bring a guy up, have him pitching one or two great innings, and then send him back down or have to DFA him have been puzzling.

LA has three relievers on the IL: Edwin Díaz, Ben Casparius, and Brock Stewart. That's far from catastrophic, but they have to hope that it won't get any worse, and certainly not to the levels their bullpen injuries have previously gotten to.

They're already off to a decent start. Even with Snell on the IL to start the season, they had a six-man rotation running without him that remained intact even when Glasnow got hurt, because Snell was ready to come back to balance things out again.

Despite the general health of the pitching staff, though, the Dodgers just need more out of their starters to avoid too many situations like this random Gervase/Mills swap.

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