Dave Roberts Announces Dalton Rushing News Ahead of Dodgers vs Padres Series Finale

The Los Angeles Dodgers will give Dalton Rushing three games — and that likely means, at most, three at-bats — to prove he's worth a spot on the team's postseason roster.

Manager Dave Roberts announced before Thursday's series finale with the San Diego Padres that Rushing will be activated off the injured list ahead of Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants.

With that activation, Rushing will have just three games to play in before the season ends. Since he's unable to catch, he's merely a pinch-hit option off the bench, which is the role he'd play for the team in October.

While Rushing could theoretically be the Dodgers' designated hitter, they just got Shohei Ohtani back, and want him to get as many at-bats as possible before the postseason begins.

Thus, Rushing will likely have a maximum of three plate appearances as a pinch hitter over the final three games of the season to make his case.

Dave Roberts said Dalton Rushing will be activated on Friday for the final series of the regular season. It will be a pinch-hitting role.
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) September 24, 2026

It appears Rushing is battling with top prospect Josue De Paula — who was optioned on Wednesday but remains eligible to return before the National League Division Series — for a spot on the postseason roster.

Roberts admitted earlier this week that Rushing likely has the tougher path to winning the spot.

“Hitting off the bench is very difficult and so you're just trying to figure out who gives us the best chance," Roberts said. “To be quite frank, it’s going to be tougher for Dalton given the time that he’s missed, and to kind of think that you have three games to get back in the playoff form, which is tough to do. It’s not a knock on him. He’s been great for us. but it’s still tough given that also you’re talking about the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue.

“We have to have those conversations and make a decision.”

Roberts said on Thursday that the team wanted to give Rushing one more opportunity after everything he did for the team this year. He stepped into a starting role amid Will Smith's extended absence, and hit .249 across 78 games with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and an OPS of .798.

“Just the circumstances of the situation, it's just tough. But what he's done for us this year, he certainly deserves some consideration," Roberts said. "That’s kind of giving him the respect and the thoughtfulness of what he's done for us.”

Rushing said to the LA Times that he's hoping to be able to impact the team in any way come October.

“Just showing them that I can swing it, and it’s an option,” Rushing said. “I know that you kind of tie [the team’s] hands up when you can’t play defense. So, I’m not expecting anything… just continue to take at-bats and see where we go from there.”

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