Dalton

Rushing

It sounds like he’s making tangible strides in the right direction in his recovery from neck inflammation that has shelved him since early June. The Dodgers sound hopeful that he’ll be able to return shortly after the All-Star break. Dalton Rushing will continue to handle the bulk of the work behind the plate in his absence.

It’s his third career game with four hits and second with four RBI. Rushing’s five balls in play tonight ranged in exit velocity from 99.2 mph to 108.7 mph. He raised his average 19 points to .263, his OPS 51 points to .843 and his hard-hit rate from 41 percent to 44 percent.

There was optimism that Smith would make it back to Los Angeles at some point in early July, but those odds seemed to get longer in recent weeks while Smith remained shut down from baseball activities. The 31-year-old is working his way back from neck inflammation and the Dodgers have zero incentive to rush him and risk any setbacks. There should be a clearer timeline at some point in the coming weeks. It’ll be former top prospect Dalton Rushing continuing to handle the bulk of the catching duties for the Dodgers.

Rushing returns to Los Angeles lineup after passing concussion protocol. There was some initial concern when he took a foul tip off his mask during Monday’s series opener, but he checked out fine after undergoing precautionary testing. It’s a significant relief for the Dodgers since they’re without primary backstop Will Smith (neck) for at least another week or two. Rushing’s return sends Chuckie Robinson back to the bench after filling in admirably the last two days.

Rushing remains in concussion protocol after taking a foul tip off the mask during the early stages of Monday’s series opener in Minnesota. It’ll be Chuckie Robinson handling the catching duties in his absence. The 25-year-old backstop passed initial concussion tests, but the Dodgers aren’t going to take any chances. There should be some clarity on his status prior to Wednesday’s series finale.

Rushing was lifted from Monday’s series opener for precautionary reasons after taking a foul tip off his mask in the opening frame. He’ll remain in concussion protocol and continue to be evaluated for at least another day or two. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Dodgers brought up another catcher as an emergency backup behind Chuckie Robinson for the rest of the series in Minnesota.

Rushing was replaced by Chuckie Robinson behind the plate in the third inning. He was struck in the mask by a foul tip earlier in the contest. The 25-year-old will undergo testing to determine whether he suffered a concussion. The big concern for the Dodgers is that Will Smith (neck) remains a couple weeks away from returning from the injured list. The club is likely going to have to bring up some emergency catching depth from Triple-A Oklahoma City. There should be an update on his status prior to Tuesday’s contest.

Rushing only gets credit for one RBI, because the second run scored on a throwing error by Tyler O’Neill. Rushing probably doesn’t care too much. It helps make up for what was an ugly game for the backstop prior to that knock, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his previous three at-bats. Again, he probably doesn’t care. Rushing has been excellent for the majority of 2026 as seen in his .262/.351/.500 slash.

Smith is eligible to return from the injured list, but it doesn’t sound like he’s close to being ready just yet. Dalton Rushing will continue to handle the bulk of the catching duties while Smith is shelved.

This is what Dave Roberts said would happen last night, and so it comes to pass. It’s backdated to June 8, so Smith is only guaranteed to miss the next seven days. Dalton Rushing figures to get most of the playing time in Smith’s absence and is a recommended pick up in the short term if you need catching help.