Cubs' Nico Hoerner Confirms Dodgers Catcher Cursed at, Insulted Teammate

Dalton Rushing said what we all thought he said.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing said what we all thought he said about Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya. | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Dalton Rushing continues to anger opponents at an impressive clip.

On Tuesday’s episode of the Spiegel & Holmes Show on 670 The Score in Chicago, Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner confirmed what we all thought the Dodgers' catcher said about his counterpart on the Cubs.

During L.A.’s 12-4 win over the Cubs on Saturday, Roki Sasaki hit Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya with a pitch in the top of the third. With Hoerner at the plate, Amaya took off for second base on a wild pitch by Sasaki, and Rushing’s throw down was not in time. After the play, Rushing appeared to call Amaya a “Fat f---.” Video is below.

Dodgers fans worried about PCA yet Dalton Rushing is the biggest clown in MLB. Here he is calling Miguel Amaya a “fat f*ck” after he gets stolen on. Watch Nico afterwards pic.twitter.com/Iniojk3Hv7

— 𝕮𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖔𝖗 𝕻𝖎𝖑𝖘 (@TheConnorPils) April 26, 2026

On Tuesday, Hoerner was asked if people had read Rushing's lips right. He confirmed it and expressed some regret.

“Yeah. I wish that I had confronted him a little more directly to be honest,” Hoerner said. “I was pretty taken aback and in the middle of my at-bat. It was kind of a strange thing to experience. I felt a little weird about that.”

This isn’t the first time Rushing has been an issue for an opponent this season. He almost single-handedly breathed life into the long-dormant Dodgers-Giants rivalry by showing almost no concern for an injured Jung Hoo Lee, and then his dirty slide into Willy Adames while attempting to break up a double play. He also implied the Rockies had to be cheating after they beat L.A. after Colorado scored a 4-3 win over the Dodgers earlier in the season.

Whether anyone likes him or not, Rushing has been outstanding for his team this season. He's slashing .348/.423/.848, with seven home runs, 17 RBIs and entered Wednesday with a 225 wRC+. The 25-year-old former top prospect appears to have broken out after he limped to a 62 wRC+ as a rookie in 2025.

Dodgers fans are probably fine with his attitude as long as he keeps producing like one of the top offensive catchers in the game.

Nico Hoerner’s 2026 stats

Hoerner agreed to a six-year, $141 million deal in March and, so far, it looks like a fantastic move by the Cubs.

Once thought of as a defensive specialist, the two-time Gold Glove winner has become a consistent offensive performer for Chicago. Despite a lack of any real power, Hoerner has become a valuable piece of the team’s lineup.

Hoerner entered Wednesday’s action second in the NL in hits (36) and tied for third in RBIs (26) while slashing .293/.369/.455. He also has seven stolen bases, a 134 wRC+ and a career best xwOBA of .346. He is second among qualified NL hitters with 1.6 fWAR.

The Cubs selected Hoerner with the 24th pick in the 2018 MLB draft, out of Stanford. He made his debut in 2019, with the reputation of a guy who would put his bat on the ball and field his position well. He was never expected to show much power, but that hasn’t mattered as he’s established himself as one of baseball’s best second basemen.

The 28-year-old is a safe bet to make his first All-Star team this year.

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