Dodgers Demote Infielder, Officially Activate Dalton Rushing Before Giants Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a roster move ahead of Friday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants, activating catcher Dalton Rushing off the injured list.

In order to make room on the active roster, infielder Alex Freeland was optioned.

The Dodgers have reinstated catcher Dalton Rushing from the injured list and optioned IF Alex Freeland.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 25, 2026

Rushing is continuing to recover from a torn UCL in his elbow and will be unable to play defense for the remainder of the season. However, the Dodgers wanted to give him an opportunity to get a couple pinch-hit at-bats over the season's final three games as an audition for his potential role in the postseason.

“At the most it would be three pinch-hit at-bats, so just conduct at-bats and see what you got,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the plan for Rushing. “Just the circumstances of his situation, it’s just tough to just be hurt, come back, then be hurt again, and then take three pinch-hit at-bats to potentially then say, ‘Hey, you’re on the roster.’

“What he’s done for us this season certainly deserves some [playoff] consideration. That’s kind of giving him the respect and thoughtfulness of what he’s done for us.”

Rushing has appeared in 78 games this season, hitting .249 with 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and an OPS of .798. After starting once or twice a week, he took over the full-time duties following Will Smith's neck injury.

However, Rushing then suffered an elbow flare-up, causing the Dodgers to reshape their catching tandem at the trade deadline.

Rushing was able to return on Sept. 1, but suffered a setback while attempting to progress in his throwing program. He was placed back on the IL on Sept. 6, and has been out ever since.

“In my eyes, me trying to throw is me showing them that obviously I want to help the team win,” Rushing said to the LA Times. “I want to give us the best available option that we have at that moment, and that was my whole plan all along. So I hope they see there wasn’t any selfishness in that.”

Rushing understands he's in a difficult spot to earn a spot on the postseason roster, especially with the emergence of the left-handed hitting Josue De Paula. However, he's hoping to prove over the final three days of the regular season that he can be an asset come October.

“The at-bat’s really are the only side that I can truly help them in,” Rushing said. “Even then, it’s just a pinch-hit opportunity and no defense included, so I know that ties their hands up a little bit. But yeah, I’m excited.”

“No hard feelings on either end,” he added. “Obviously you want to play baseball. You feel healthy again to an extent. You feel healthy swinging a bat, so yeah, I want to get back soon.”

Dodgers Option Alex Freeland

As for Freeland, he's officially not an option for the NLDS roster, barring an injury. Across 89 games this season, he hit .234 with an OPS of .652.

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