The Los Angeles Dodgers designated J. Hernández for assignment and recalled Halvorsen and Barnes to strengthen the bullpen.

On the 11th, the Dodgers announced bullpen roster changes, recalling pitchers Seth Halvorsen and Charlie Barnes, while optioning Kyle Hurt to Triple-A and placing Jonathan Hernández on the designated for assignment (DFA) list.

The Dodgers have been in a downward spiral since August. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal anchoring the rotation, the bullpen's frequent lapses have turned those quality starts into wasted efforts.

Hernández signed with the Dodgers only in May. He made 15 relief appearances this season with a 6.45 ERA and is expected to be let go. Hurt's situation is slightly better; he appeared in 37 games with a 4.46 ERA and still has minor league options, so he can be temporarily sent to Triple-A for adjustments.

Halvorsen, recalled to the majors, is a reliever acquired from the Rockies just last month, posting a 4.74 ERA in 21 games this season. Barnes, claimed off waivers from the Cubs this season, has made only 5 appearances with a 6.92 ERA.

For the Dodgers, the bullpen crisis is not unsolvable. As long as they can hold on until the postseason, the team's depth is their greatest asset. At that point, they can shift back-end rotation starters to the bullpen, similar to how they activated Roki Sasaki last year.

However, US media noted that the Dodgers' biggest regret at the trade deadline was not acquiring a veteran catcher. Starting catcher Will Smith and backup catcher Dalton Rushing are both injured, making it difficult to rely on them for regular catching this season. Currently, they can only depend on Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt to rotate behind the plate, and this duo's offensive firepower is likely underwhelming.