Dodgers' Dalton Rushing Still Trying to Get Better at Controlling Emotions

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has been at the center of multiple incidents this season that led to opposing teams calling him out.

Rushing plays the game of baseball with extreme emotion, and sometimes, it can get the better of him.

But the emergence of Rushing has been one of the more important storylines for the Dodgers this season, especially with the injury to starter Will Smith. Rushing has started to get better at keeping his cool, but he knows he has work to still do.

“Still working on that,” Rushing said to the California Post.

Over the weekend against the Baltimore Orioles, Rushing was caught trying to snap a bat over his knee following a strikeout.

ラッシング
最後に報われて良かったね😓 pic.twitter.com/AWEg7MsQBu
— 𝕪𝕦𝕜𝕚 (@Shohei17toR) June 20, 2026

While this is much better than him going after opponents, it's still part of the learning curve for Rushing on controlling his emotions.

Rushing was able to shake off the frustration he had, and later in the game, ended up getting his first-ever walk-off hit. The catcher helped the Dodgers rally against the Baltimore Orioles to steal the opening game of the series.

BIG TIME RUSH. pic.twitter.com/PwHV8L0dDh
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 20, 2026

Overall, Rushing has hit .252 with eight home runs and 22 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .821. Rushing has slowed down a little at the plate from his hot start, but he has still given the Dodgers a real boost this year.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has liked what he's seen from Rushing of late, especially with the mental fortitude to deliver in the biggest moment against the Orioles.

“For him to flush it all and to flip his entire game and help us win a ballgame was huge,” Roberts said. “After he, you know, vents, he does a good job of collecting himself to get back into the next play.”

This was a special moment for the young player, and it speaks to his growth over a short time to flip the script like this. However, it seems that Roberts still wants to see more from Rushing in terms of keeping his emotions in check during games.

“It’s just part of the process,” Roberts said. “The learning process, the experience part.”

The learning has just begun for the 25-year-old, but he has clearly shown that he is capable of being a big-league player. While there is room for growth, having the veteran stars in the clubhouse should only help Rushing continue to get better as a player going forward.

Dalton Rushing Injury Update

Rushing was forced to exit Monday's game against the Minnesota Twins so the team could rule out a concussion after he was hit by a foul tip.

Roberts said after the game that Rushing passed all concussion tests for now.

"I had a couple of symptoms that scared them a little bit," Rushing said. "Thankfully, we played it the safe route. ... I had [ a concussion] recently in '23. I got hit with a backswing in the back of the head, and I tried to stand up in the next box and fell down. So, I would say that one was pretty bad. But this one was just a headache. The headache and a little bit of nauseous feeling. ... Take some medicine, pass a concussion test and we'll move on."

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