Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals What He Said to Dalton Rushing in Viral Dugout Conversation

The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to complete the three-game sweep over the Minnesota Twins this week, but within the game, there was some drama between teammates.

Catcher Dalton Rushing once again made headlines for the wrong reasons, continuing a long line of incidents this year. Rushing seemed to get into it with pitcher Shohei Ohtani over non-challenges on pitches, causing frustration to boil over all around.

Following the incident, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke with Rushing in the dugout. Roberts opened up about what he said to the young player regarding the matter.

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

“That’s all I was trying to do, was just keep him focused on not letting his emotions get the best of him, whether it be at bat or, Shohei’s trying to figure some things out,” Roberts said. “Just not losing sight of his job, and that’s to serve. He understood it. But he’s an emotional guy.”

Roberts wasn't the only member of the Dodgers to speak with Rushing, as pitching coach Mark Prior and Freddie Freeman also had conversations with him after the inning.

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 dealt with some issues in keeping his emotions in check this season. Many of his incidents have left to opposing teams calling him out on numerous occasions.

The catcher tends to play the game of baseball with a lot of emotion, and sometimes, this has come back to hurt him. The Dodgers organization has tried to support Rushing in the best way they can, but the young player does need to learn how to balance himself.

"It's great, they always have my back," Rushing said of the support. "Once again, it's embarrassing that I need support like that. I'm a grown man. It's a pretty tough pill to swallow.”

To his credit, Rushing has taken accountability for his actions, which speaks to his maturity as a young player.

Rushing has stepped into a larger role for the Dodgers with starter Will Smith currently on the injured list due to neck inflammation. The 25-year-old Rushing is in the midst of a breakout year, hitting .245 with eight home runs, 22 runs batted in and an OPS of .799.

While his growth at the plate has been nice to see, part of staying at the big league level is knowing how to control your emotions.

That's the part of the game that Rushing needs to improve sooner rather than later.

"I'm gonna be better," Rushing said.

Add us as a preferred source on Google