May 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Luis Garcia against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Nationals Made Multiple Roster Moves That Included Signing Former Dodgers Reliever

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 2:00 PM ET

There is a lot that's being discussed regarding the Washington Nationals.

Longtime executive Mike Rizzo was fired alongside manager Dave Martinez, two moves that are set to usher in a new era of Nationals baseball.

More News: Five Former Managers Nationals Could Pursue After Firing Dave Martinez

Naturally, much of the attention has been given to that decision and what's next for the franchise, which caused some of the roster moves they made to go a bit under the radar.

Before Washington's game on Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals, they had a massive shake up that featured catcher Keibert Ruiz being placed back on the injured list and former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Luis Garcia being signed to a Major League contract.

We have made the following roster moves:

- agreed to terms with RHP Luis García on a one-year Major League contract
- recalled C Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester
- placed C Keibert Ruiz on the 7-day IL
- optioned RHP Eduardo Salazar to Triple-A Rochester
- transferred RHP…
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 8, 2025

Drew Millas is back with the big league club as Ruiz's replacement.

The Nationals have a lot of figure out when it comes to their catcher position based on how poorly Ruiz has performed this season, so Millas will have an opportunity to showcase himself now that a new regime is in charge.

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But the most notable move was the signing of Garcia.

The 38-year-old inked a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past winter before making the Opening Day roster out of camp.

However, he underperformed compared to expectations with a 5.27 ERA across his 28 outings, striking out 24 batters compared to a staggering 18 walks in 27 1/3 innings pitched.

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That caused the Dodgers to designate him for assignment on June 29 before releasing him on July 4 after he cleared waivers.

Considering how volatile this Washington relief staff has been this season, those numbers don't inspire confidence that Garcia can come in and be a steady presence for the bullpen. But he's been a solid performer for the most part throughout his career, so adding him to the mix as the replacement for Eduardo Salazar gives new interim manager Miguel Cairo a more consistent option to call upon.

Garcia won't change the landscape for the Nationals, but he at least can be a steady contributor if he finds his past form.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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