Dodgers' Dalton Rushing Sends Message to Shohei Ohtani After Public Disagreement

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing spoke out about his public disagreement with Shohei Ohtani in the second inning of last Wednesday's game.

In a recent interview with the California Post, Rushing said he is ready to move on from the situation, while also taking accountability for his actions.

He made it clear Ohtani was in the right, and wants the right-handed pitcher to continue doing what he's doing.

“Look, he’s the greatest player to play this game,” Rushing said. “And he has every right to, one, call whatever he would like, and two, just attack the way that he wants to on the mound. Because no one on this earth can tell him that he doesn’t know what he’s doing out there.

“So we’re gonna move forward from it. I’ve talked to him a lot. Never in a million years could you ever have a bad thing to say about a guy like that. Never in a million years could you ever feel like a player like that is in the wrong. So it’s kind of up to me, as a young guy, to wear the situation, wear it on my chest, get over it, move past it, and make sure that we allow a guy like that to do what he wants to do.”

During their contest against the Minnesota Twins, Rushing and Ohtani experienced a visible miscommunication that resulted in crossed signals, a passed ball and the four-time MVP taking over pitch-calling duties for the remainder of the start.

Ohtani and Rushing were also on different pages in regards to challenging pitches, leading to both players getting frustrated.

Shohei's had enough of these non-challenges from Rushing. pic.twitter.com/K1uFNycp7t
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 25, 2026

After the half inning, Rushing was seen in the dugout having conversations with manager Dave Roberts and veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman, among others.

Roberts also said they've had multiple conversations with Rushing ahead of Ohtani's start this week.

“Whether I’m right, whether he’s right, whether we’re both wrong, whether we’re both right, it doesn’t really matter,” Rushing said. “It’s my job, whether I’m 25 years old or 35 years old, to say, ‘Look, I’m wearing this, this is my fault. I need to move forward. I need to grow from this.’"

Dalton Rushing Continuing to Learn on the Job

The 2026 season, Rushing's first full year at the big league level, has been a whirlwind for him.

After a hot start to the season — recording seven home runs in April — Rushing has cooled off considerably. He didn't homer in May and has hit just two in June; however, he has started to get back on track as of late.

The Dodgers have had no other choice but to lean on Rushing after Will Smith hit the injured list with neck inflammation. He's continuing to learn how to control his emotions during games.

The Dodgers continue to believe in the 25-year-old Rushing, but he'll need to demonstrate his maturity as the year goes on.

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