Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Reaches base four times Sunday
Rotowire
Rushing went 2-for-2 with a double, two walks and three runs in a 13-7 win against Washington on Sunday.
Rushing reached in all four of his plate appearances to help set the table from the No. 9 spot in the lineup for leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani, who racked up five RBI. Rushing notched his third multi-hit game of the campaign, but it was his first such performance since he accomplished the feat in each of his first two MLB contests May 15 and 17. The 24-year-old has settled in as the Dodgers' backup catcher behind Will Smith and has posted a .689 OPS with one home run, nine RBI and eight runs through 51 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Slugs first big-league homer
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Rushing went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 18-2 rout of the Yankees.
Things got so out of hand score-wise that Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts brought in Rushing to pinch hit for reigning NL MVP Shohei Ohtani in the sixth inning. The Yankees essentially waved the white flag when they called upon position player Pablo Reyes to pitch in the eighth, and Rushing took advantage by blasting a three-run home run for his first long ball as a major leaguer. Since being called up from the minors May 14, Rushing has been routinely starting every third game behind the plate, and he's compiled a .273/.304/.455 slash line with seven RBI through 23 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Gets on base three times in debut
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Rushing went 2-for-4 with a walk and three runs scored in Thursday's 19-2 win over the Athletics.
Rushing got a fun first taste of major-league action in this lopsided win in his debut. He didn't look out of place, striking out just once and scoring each time he got on base. The 24-year-old was slashing .308/.424/.514 over 31 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to his call-up Wednesday. He slots in as the backup to Will Smith at catcher, but Rushing can also push the struggling Michael Conforto for playing time in left field since Smith is likely to catch 4-to-5 games per week.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Behind plate for MLB debut
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Rushing is making his MLB debut Thursday night against the Athletics, starting at catcher and batting seventh.
With Will Smith getting to rest Thursday, Rushing will get his first major-league action. Rushing was called up Wednesday with Austin Barnes being designated for assignment. While Rushing will serve as the backup catcher, he may also find some time at first base or left field. The left-handed batter is set to get his first plate appearances against A's right-hander Osvaldo Bido.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Promotion made official
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The Dodgers selected Rushing's contract from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
With Austin Barnes having been designated for assignment in a corresponding move, Rushing will pick up some starts at catcher on days that Will Smith has off. However, most of his playing time could come in the outfield, where Michael Conforto has struggled and Teoscar Hernandez (groin) and Tommy Edman (ankle) are currently out of the mix. Rushing is also capable of playing first base, but at-bats will be hard to come by at the position with Freddie Freeman entrenched atop the depth chart. Rushing has slashed .308/.424/.514 with five home runs and a 29:21 K:BB over 132 plate appearances this season with Oklahoma City.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Poised for big-league promotion
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The Dodgers will call up Rushing from Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Austin Barnes will be designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Rushing has torched Pacific Coast League pitching this season, slashing .308/.424/.514 with five home runs and a 29:21 K:BB over 132 plate appearances. He's made 16 starts at catcher, eight starts at first base and one start in left field this season. With Teoscar Hernandez (groin) and Tommy Edman (ankle) on the injured list and with Michael Conforto struggling, Rushing's best opportunity for playing time could come in the outfield. He will also see starts at catcher on off days for Will Smith.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Moves to minors camp
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The Dodgers reassigned Rushing to minor-league camp Tuesday.
Rushing has breezed his way through the Dodgers' minor-league system and had a real chance to open the year on the Opening Day roster after slashing .273/.396/.511 over 169 Triple-A plate appearances in 2024. Instead, the Dodgers will give him a few more looks in the minors to start 2025, but he could certainly break through into Los Angeles if he continues to dominate in Triple-A.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Getting reps at first base
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Rushing fielded grounders at first base following the conclusion of Sunday's workout during spring camp, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Per Ardaya, the Dodgers want Rushing to prioritize his development behind the plate, but that won't prevent the top prospect from getting reps elsewhere in the field. Though he appears near ready to make his big-league debut after posting a .907 OPS over 169 plate appearances in Triple-A last season, the soon-to-be 24-year-old has a tricky path to the big-league roster as Los Angeles signed Will Smith to a 10-year contract last March and exercised the one-year club option on veteran backup backstop Austin Barnes last November. Rushing's likelihood of making the Opening Day roster or being called up within the first few months of the campaign will likely be strengthened if he shows an acumen for first base, and he also spent some time last year in the minors playing left field, though Roberts mentioned that it's "TBD" how much time Rushing will spend in the outfield moving forward.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Set to be promoted to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Dodgers will promote Rushing from Double-A Tulsa to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Rushing will make the leap to Triple-A after producing a .270 average with 17 home runs, 59 RBI and 44 runs scored over 324 plate appearances in 77 games with Tulsa this season. The 23-year-old operates mostly as a catcher, but he has gotten four starts in left field recently, opening up another avenue for playing time if the Dodgers call him up later on this season.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Clear improvements this year
Rotowire
Rushing is slashing .261/.376/.473 with 10 home runs in 56 games for Double-A Tulsa.
Rushing has improved many of his metrics from his time last year at High-A, cutting his groundball rate from 40.1 percent to 31.8 percent while also cutting his strikeout rate from 24.4 percent to 21 percent. His walk rates have always been high, but it's encouraging to see him putting more balls in play this season while also optimizing his batted-ball profile. Additionally, his hard-hit rate is up from 25.1 percent last year to an elite 34.7 percent this season. The biggest knock on Rushing for dynasty leagues is that Will Smith and Shohei Ohtani are locked up at catcher and designated hitter long term.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: Returns after injury
Rotowire
Rushing (head) was back in action for High-A Great Lakes on Friday after missing time due to a head injury. He went 0-for-3 with a pair of walks and a run.
Rushing missed 10 days after getting hit on the head by a backswing in a game June 13. He was the Loons' designated hitter in his return and wasn't in the starting lineup Saturday, so the organization may be taking a cautious approach by easing the catching prospect back into action. Rushing has looked good in his first stint at the High-A level, slashing .260/.435/.494 with seven homers, 32 RBI. a stolen base and a 21.4 percent walk rate over 207 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Dalton Rushing: On-base machine for Loons
Rotowire
Rushing has the highest OBP (.427) and highest wRC+ (169) of qualified Midwest League hitters who are 22 or younger.
Rushing is a little old to still be at High-A, and he has been putting up monster numbers for the Great Lakes Loons as a result. He has a .257/.427/.507 slash line with seven home runs, a 24.3 percent strikeout rate and a 20 percent walk rate. Rushing has made 21 starts at catcher, 11 starts at designated hitter and seven starts at first base, which is an accurate representation of how he is likely to be deployed in the majors in a year or two.
