Dodgers Designate Cole Irvin for Assignment to Open a 40-Man Spot

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a bullpen and roster maneuver on Sunday, designating left-hander Cole Irvin for assignment in order to clear a spot on the club’s 40-man roster. The move came as the Dodgers also prepared to add right-handers Kyle Hurt and Wyatt Mills to their bullpen options, a sign that the organization was prioritizing bullpen depth as the season presses deeper.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Dodgers’ corresponding roster activity was to use the open spots created by two transactions: Will Klein was placed on the injured list, and Irvin was then designated for assignment. That sequencing matters because a DFA does not immediately remove a player from the organization, but it does begin a finite process in which the team must decide whether to keep the player, trade him, or release him if he clears waivers.

Irvin’s status as the player DFA’d is also notable in the context of how the Dodgers build their late-inning and bridge roles. The Dodgers’ stated roster expansion was bullpen-oriented, and the addition of two right-handed arms suggests they were looking to reshape matchups and provide more flexibility for high-leverage innings. Hurt and Mills were already on the 40-man roster, which means Los Angeles could promote or use them without needing additional roster real estate beyond creating the opening by removing Irvin.

MLB Trade Rumors reported that Irvin had recently returned to the majors with the Dodgers and appeared in a stretch that included six innings pitched in that return. The reporting indicates the Dodgers removed him from their roster after that return, a reminder that teams often make quick adjustments when roster construction, bullpen workload, and day-to-day needs shift.

For fans, the practical impact is straightforward: a DFA is frequently followed by one of three outcomes. The player can be traded to another organization that believes the pitcher can fit its needs, retained by the original club if claimed and maneuvered accordingly, or outrighted and possibly sent to the minors if he clears waivers. Until the waiver process concludes, Irvin’s Dodgers future remains unsettled.

The broader baseball point is that these moves are usually about managing a crowded roster while still meeting the season’s immediate pitching requirements. With Hurt and Mills already counted in the 40-man group, Los Angeles appears to be tightening its bullpen coverage rather than making a wholesale pitching staff change. Klein’s injured list placement, meanwhile, continues to report that the Dodgers had to account for an absence on the pitching side, even as they looked to add arms.

What to watch next is how quickly the Dodgers turn this DFA into a permanent roster decision and whether Irvin attracts waiver interest. If another team claims him, Los Angeles could lose him without further leverage. If he clears waivers, the organization’s next step would be to determine whether he remains in their system at a lower level or whether an alternate path emerges.