Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Takes swings on field Friday
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Rushing (elbow) participated in batting practice at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Rushing was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his right elbow in early August and has already been deemed very unlikely to catch again this season. Nonetheless, the Dodgers are hoping to get the 25-year-old back before the end of the campaign as a left-handed-hitting option off the bench. The UCL tear is considered minor, and Rushing is planning to forego surgery in favor of treating the injury with rest and rehab.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Unlikely to catch again in 2026
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Manager Dave Roberts said Rushing (elbow) has a "very small" chance of being able to play catcher again this season, but the Dodgers are hopeful that the 25-year-old can serve as a left-handed option off the bench if he's able to return from the 10-day injured list, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Rushing was scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's loss to the Red Sox and placed on the injured list Monday due to what the Dodgers referred to as a mild strain of his throwing elbow. He was then sent in for further testing Tuesday, with an MRI revealing a UCL tear in his right elbow. While Rushing is hopeful to avoid surgery and treat the injury with rest and rehab, he won't be cleared to start a throwing program for 4-to-6 weeks, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com, which takes catching and playing first base or a corner-outfield spot off the table. A left-handed hitter, Rushing shouldn't be too affected by the injury at the plate, but the Dodgers likely won't be able to find regular room for him in the lineup so long as Shohei Ohtani is available to serve as their everyday designated hitter. With that in mind, Rushing looks like a safe drop for fantasy managers in nearly every redraft league.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Diagnosed with UCL tear
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Rushing was diagnosed with a slight UCL tear in his right elbow Tuesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Rushing landed on the injured list Monday with an elbow strain, and MRI results confirmed that the 25-year-old backstop suffered ligament damage. The Dodgers are still hopeful that he won't have to undergo season-ending surgery, but he'll still be shut down from all activity for at least a few weeks while he recovers. If Rushing were to play again this year, he would likely be limited to a hitting-only role. Will Smith (neck) is also set to remain on the injured list for another 3-to-4 weeks, so Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia will handle catching duties for the Dodgers going forward.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Sent to IL with elbow strain
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The Dodgers placed Rushing on the 10-day injured list Monday due to a mild elbow strain, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's loss to the Red Sox due to what the Dodgers had labeled as minor arm irritation, Rushing will wind up on the IL a day later after follow-up tests revealed the elbow strain. The fact that Rushing's injury is being classified as mild bodes well for his chances of avoid an extended absences, but at least for the next week and a half, the Dodgers will be without both of their top two backstops. With Rushing and Will Smith (neck) on the shelf, the Dodgers bolstered their catching depth by acquiring Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt in trades Monday. Feduccia will join the big club and form a catching tandem with Eliezer Alfonzo.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Scratched from lineup
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Rushing was scratched from the lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Red Sox due to minor arm irritation.
Rushing was set to start behind the plate and bat ninth in the series finale, but he was pulled from the lineup just minutes before first pitch. Eliezer Alfonzo will start at catcher in place of Rushing, who can be viewed as day-to-day heading into the Dodgers' next game Monday versus the Cubs.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Launches three-run homer
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Rushing went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run Thursday in a 6-2 win against the Mariners.
Rushing's three-run blast in the fourth inning gave the Dodgers all the scoring they needed to emerge with the victory. The second-year backstop endured an 0-for-19, 10-strikeout stretch at the plate during a portion of July, but he's since turned things around, batting .375 with two homers and six RBI over his past seven contests. Rushing continues to work as Los Angeles' primary catcher, though Will Smith (neck) recently resumed baseball activities and could be back with the big club before the midpoint of August.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Supplies three hits
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Rushing went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Mariners.
After an 0-for-19 skid over nine games between July 7-21, Rushing has gone 7-for-17 (.412) over his last five contests. The catcher still has some runway as the Dodgers' starter behind the dish, as Will Smith (neck) is just starting to resume baseball activities. Rushing is batting .256 with an .813 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 35 runs scored, 12 doubles and no stolen bases over 71 games this season.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Powers offense in win
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Rushing went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and three RBI in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Phillies.
Rushing got the Dodgers on the board with a solo homer in the third inning before giving them a 3-2 lead with a two-run double in the fifth. It was a much-needed effort for the 25-year-old, who entered the game mired in an 0-for-19 slump dating back to July 7. On the season, he's hitting .247/.338/.474 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI and 32 runs scored across 222 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Out of Dodgers' lineup
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Rushing is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest in Philadelphia.
Rushing started Monday's series opener but will retreat to the bench for the second game of the three-game set. Eliezer Alfonzo will take over behind the plate for the Dodgers.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Sitting for Game 2
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Rushing is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's nightcap against the Yankees, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Rushing will head to the bench after he went 0-for-2 with three walks and a run scored in the team's 8-2 win over New York in Game 1 of the doubleheader. Eliezer Alfonzo will take over behind the plate as Los Angeles goes for the series sweep.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: On bench Wednesday
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Rushing isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against Colorado, Kirsten Watson of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.
Rushing will get a day off Wednesday after going 3-for-8 with a walk, an RBI and a pair of runs scored through the first two games of the series. Eliezer Alfonzo will take over at catcher and bat ninth.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Walks it off for Los Angeles
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Rushing went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI in an 11-inning, 8-7 win against the Rockies on Monday.
Rushing doubled and scored in his first two at-bats, but his most memorable hit of the night was an 11th-inning single that plated the game-winning run for the Dodgers. The backstop has tallied multiple hits nine times this season, and he's recorded three-plus hits on four of those occasions. Rushing is holding down the fort quite well in the absence of Will Smith (neck), as on the campaign he's slashing .269/347/.503 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles, 30 runs and 30 RBI through 193 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Reaches four times Thursday
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Rushing went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double, three total runs and four total RBI against San Diego in a 12-7 victory Thursday.
Los Angeles fell behind 6-0 before Rushing kicked off a comeback with a two-run homer to center field in the second inning. The young backstop added a sacrifice fly in the sixth frame and an RBI single in the eighth to round out his third four-hit performance of the campaign. Rushing has been holding down the fort behind the plate since Will Smith (neck) last played June 5. Over 20 contests in Smith's absence, Rushing is batting .258 with three homers, five doubles, 11 runs and 11 RBI.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Riding pine Wednesday
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Rushing is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's matchup against the Athletics.
Despite recording three hits and two RBI in his first two starts of the series against the A's, Rushing will ride the bench Wednesday. Chuckie Robinson will take over behind the plate and bat ninth for the Dodgers.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Left game as precaution
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Rushing left Monday's game against Minnesota early to rule out a concussion.
The Dodgers replaced Rushing early on in Monday's game to rule out a concussion after he was hit in the head with a foul ball. The Dodgers are already thin at catching depth with Will Smith (neck) on the injured list since June 11.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Receiving afternoon off
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Rushing is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Chuckie Robinson will get the nod at catcher while Rushing rests for the series finale. Though he's settled in as the Dodgers' primary backstop after Will Smith (neck) landed on the injured list June 11, Rushing hasn't produced much for fantasy managers since that date, slashing just .167/.310/.292 with no home runs or stolen bases, two runs and one RBI over seven games.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Playing time up with Smith out
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Rushing will start at catcher and bat eighth in Sunday's game against the White Sox.
For the seventh time in eight contests, the Dodgers will go with Rushing behind the dish. He's turned in a stellar .882 OPS over 132 plate appearances on the season and should be worth rostering in nearly every fantasy format while he's seeing steady starts. Rushing's playing time will tail off considerably once Will Smith (neck) is cleared to return from the 10-day injured list, however.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Batting leadoff as DH
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Rushing is starting as the designated hitter and batting leadoff Tuesday versus the Marlins.
Not only is Tuesday's start Rushing's first in the leadoff role but also his first of the season in the top half of the order. This will be the 25-year-old's third career start as the designated hitter, as that role is typically reserved for Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is not in the batting lineup Tuesday as he focuses on his start as the pitcher.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Posts another big performance
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Rushing went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three total RBI against Colorado in a 12-3 win Monday.
Rushing started at first base, as Freddie Freeman remains away from the team while on paternity leave. Though Rushing went hitless in his first three plate appearances, he finished in fine form, knocking a solo homer in the eighth inning and belting a two-run shot in the ninth. Rushing has seen limited playing time this season as the backup catcher behind All-Star Will Smith, but he's been incredibly productive when in the lineup, racking up seven long balls and 13 RBI through only 28 plate appearances spanning eight contests. Smith's starting role is set in stone, but manager Dave Roberts may need to find creative ways to get Rushing's bat into the lineup more frequently if he continues to swing a hot bat.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Grand slam, double in win
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Rushing went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, a double and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Mets.
Rushing got a rare chance to play since Shohei Ohtani was in the lineup only as a pitcher, opening up the designated-hitter role. As has been the case early this year, Rushing took advantage of his opportunity with a big performance, driving in half of the Dodgers' runs with his eighth-inning slam to turn the game into a blowout. He's played in just five contests so far, but he's gone 9-for-17 (.529) with four homers, eight RBI, seven runs scored and two doubles. Rushing has already matched his homer total from last season, but he still doesn't have a clear path to playing time aside from the occasional start behind the dish when Will Smith needs to rest his legs.
