Dodgers' Dave Roberts Calls Dalton Rushing a 'Work in Progress'

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has stepped in nicely to fill the void left with starter Will Smith being injured, but the young player still has a lot to learn. While he has shown some nice progression at the plate, Rushing has a way to go with keeping his emotions in check.

This has gotten him into a lot of trouble throughout the year, both with opponents and even sometimes his teammates. Manager Dave Roberts has spoken at length about Rushing, with him recently calling the young player a "work in progress".

"It's a work in progress. He wants to do really well, expects a lot of himself, so when he's not doing what he expects, he gets frustrated," Roberts said this week. "I think that the good thing is that he understands his priority is to serve the pitchers and be behind the plate. But yeah, the last few games, he's had a tough go of it."

Dave Roberts addresses the media after the #Dodgers 4-3 win in Minnesota for the series sweep. pic.twitter.com/2NGRb2N8uT
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 25, 2026

Rushing has not only had incidents with opposing teams, but with teammate Shohei Ohtani. The two weren't on the same page when it came to challenging pitches in his last start, and they were even crossed up before Ohtani began calling his own pitches.

Ohtani looked visibly frustrated with the young catcher during his last start, leading to Roberts talking to Rushing in the dugout.

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

Pitching coach Mark Prior and Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman also had talks with Rushing, showing the team-wide support. But at some point, Rushing will need to figure out how to handle his emotions when he gets frustrated during games.

Freddie, Dave, Prior, and their mental skills coach all have long talks with Rushing between innings. Abbreviated highlights. https://t.co/crG3xoL6K2 pic.twitter.com/u4zjiuiTz8
— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) June 25, 2026

Rushing has admitted that he and Ohtani are still building chemistry and that it's all about getting more reps together. How many more opportunities he gets with Ohtani remains to be seen.

“Obviously, we expect close to perfection out of Sho every time he goes out there. So does he, out of himself,” Rushing said. “But there’s no piece to worry at all. Obviously I think I can build a little better relationship moving forward, based off what has happened. Whether we get hit around here, hit around there, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. I think it’s just a learning lesson for both of us.”

The Dodgers believe in the player that Rushing can become, but part of being a professional is learning how to act on the field. Rushing has the talent to stay in the big leagues, but this will be something that the organization will continue to monitor from him going forward.

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