The Los Angeles Dodgers made bullpen adjustments on Thursday, July 2, 2026, recalling right-handed pitcher Paul Gervase from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioning left-handed pitcher Charlie Barnes to the minors.
The move came after Barnes struggled Wednesday night in Sacramento, allowing seven runs on 12 hits over seven innings in a 7-1 loss to the Athletics.
Barnes had filled a long-relief role to preserve the bullpen during a heavy stretch of games, completing the contest after opener Jack Dreyer struck out the side in the first inning.
"It was great to come in and give them length.
That was something they needed with today being a bullpen day," Barnes said, per The Orange County Register.
The 30-year-old lefty, who has played for the Twins, Cubs, and Dodgers, holds an 0-1 record with a 7.00 ERA in three major league appearances this season.
"Obviously the results weren't what I wanted. I don't think they were what the team wanted.
But I was happy to provide some length," Barnes stated.
Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged the difficulty of sending players down but emphasized organizational depth requires moving options up and down to address immediate needs.
"Unfortunately, I've had a lot of practice, and it's not a good conversation," said Roberts.
Gervase, a 6-foot-10 right-hander, joins the major league squad for the third time this year with a 3.60 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 25 innings at Triple-A Oklahoma City.
"But a lot of these guys understand that they are stopgaps right now, and that's part of having options, so you can kind of go up and down and fill holes when needed," Roberts added.
The bullpen updates come as the Dodgers prepare for a four-game weekend series against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, where starter Shohei Ohtani has had his pitching schedule adjusted to start on Friday.
Ohtani will be paired with catcher Dalton Rushing, following a widely publicized June 24 miscommunication incident in Minnesota where the duo struggled with pitch-calling before Ohtani took over.
"There's really a couple ways of communicating," Ohtani said through an interpreter after that victory against the Twins.
Rushing took full accountability for the crossed-up signals that led to a passed ball run, expressing embarrassment over needing dugout counseling from veterans like Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy.
"One is by words, but the other way to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking the charge and showing Rush what kind of pitching style I'm capable of," Ohtani explained.
With primary catcher Will Smith sidelined due to a neck injury, Roberts confirmed Rushing remains the starting catcher and expects better synergy between the two on Friday.
"I didn't do a great job from start to finish," said Rushing regarding the past incident.
Roberts noted that the catcher's role is to assist and serve the pitcher, and he believed the young backstop understood the responsibilities moving forward.
"Pretty embarrassing. Thankfully he's as good as he is and he can take control of the game," Rushing remarked.
Clubhouse veterans Max Muncy and Mookie Betts later defended the rookie on the On Base podcast, calling it an invaluable learning moment while praising Rushing for taking immediate responsibility.
"It's my job, whether I'm 25 years old or 35 years old, to say, 'Look, I'm wearing this, this is my fault,'" Rushing previously stated.
Rushing reiterated his respect for Ohtani, acknowledging that the veteran star has earned complete authority to dictate the pace and strategy on the mound.
"I need to move forward. I need to grow from this.
And I need to make sure we bring good out of this," Rushing added.
The Dodgers are also benefiting from the return of super-utility player Tommy Edman, who is batting .
366 with 15 hits and 15 RBIs through 12 games since being activated from the injured list on June 16.
"Look, he's the greatest player to play this game," Rushing told the California Post.
Edman, who missed extended time following ankle surgery, credited his immediate offensive surge and defensive flexibility across second base, third base, and left field to a rigorous pregame routine established during rehab.
"And he has every right to, one, call whatever he would like, and two, just attack the way that he wants to on the mound.
Because no one on this earth can tell him that he doesn't know what he's doing out there," Rushing said.
While advanced metrics suggest his current .
452 batting average on balls in play will face normal regression, his underlying hard-hit rates and career-high exit velocities indicate stable functionality for the division-leading Dodgers.
"So we're gonna move forward from it. I've talked to him a lot.
Never in a million years could you ever have a bad thing to say about a guy like that.
Never in a million years could you ever feel like a player like that is in the wrong.
So it's kind of up to me, as a young guy, to wear the situation, wear it on my chest, get over it, move past it, and make sure that we allow a guy like that to do what he wants to do," Rushing concluded.
