Dalton Rushing to IL with elbow inflammation

This helps explain why the Dodgers went out and acquired both Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt at the trade deadline to fortify their catching situation until Will Smith (neck) is back from the injured list. The hope is that Rushing can avoid season-ending surgery, but he’s probably going to be limited to hitting-only, if that’s the route they choose. He’ll be shut down completely for a couple weeks before the Dodgers determine his next steps.

A little additional catching depth can’t hurt, right? The Dodgers are dealing with some razor-thin margins at the position while Will Smith works his way back from a neck injury. Dalton Rushing is also banged up at the moment. Feduccia began his career in Los Angeles and broke into the majors with the Dodgers back in 2024. He’s merely a depth addition.

The 27-year-old Hicks, who won’t be a free agent until after 2030, is probably overachieving some at .282/.363/.432 as a sophomore this year, but he’ll still provide a nice lift over the Rays’ catching duo of Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes. Since Hicks and Feduccia are lefty hitters and Fortes is a righty, it’s Feduccia who would seem to be in line for a demotion. No official word yet on whether the Marlins will promote Agustín Ramírez. They already had Brian Navarette up as a third catcher with Hicks often DHing, so they could pick someone else if they don’t see Ramírez getting enough playing time as a DH and backup to Joe Mack.

Technically, there are games happening shortly after Monday’s trade deadline. The Dodgers picked up backup catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Mets in a small deal, which seems to signal that Rushing could be headed to the injured list. The 25-year-old was scratched from Sunday’s series finale against the Red Sox with a minor arm issue. There should be some clarity on his status in the coming days.

Brayden Taylor is one of three prospects Miami is getting back, says Will Sammon. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman says Adrian Santana and Jacob Kisting are the other two. The Marlins didn’t have a dire need for Hicks as a catcher following Joe Mack’s emergence, so this makes a ton of sense. The Rays will probably send down fellow left-handed-hitting catcher Hunter Feduccia and keep Nick Fortes as Hicks’ backup. The Marlins could recall Agustín Ramírez to DH and play behind Mack.

Dalton Rushing is dealing with minor arm irritation, whatever that means, and Eliezer Alfonzo struggled behind the dish on Sunday Night Baseball, so the Dodgers are bringing back an old friend. Rortvedt has not appeared in the big leagues this season and is hitting .234/.319/.414 in 167 plate appearances in Triple-A. McDermott was a former intriguing starting pitching prospect for the Orioles who the Dodgers designated for assignment on July 31st.

The Dodgers are calling the issue “minor,” but it’s significant enough for him to be out of the lineup. Consider Rushing day-to-day, and Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. will instead handle backstop duties for Sunday’s contest.

Rushing entered hitless in 25 plate appearances since July 7, but he crushed the ball tonight; coming in at 108 mph on his homer, 102 mph on the double and 101 mph on a lineout to third. He has 11 homers, 11 doubles and 33 RBI in 222 plate appearances on the season.

The 31-year-old backstop will be shut down completely for the next week before beginning to ramp back up as he continues to deal with a nagging neck injury. Dalton Rushing will continue to see the bulk of the action behind the plate for the foreseeable future.

Smith has been sidelined since June 11 with a neck injury, and while he’s begun swinging, it sounds like the Dodgers are going to handle this situation very carefully. Dalton Rushing should continue to be Los Angeles’ main catcher and be a viable starter in 12-team leagues while Smith is sidelined. The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya believes the Dodgers view this as “an extended development period” for Rushing.