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Dodgers Scratch Dalton Rushing, Max Muncy From Lineup in Concerning Development

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Noah Camras|
Jun 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates with catcher Dalton Rushing (68) after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Jun 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates with catcher Dalton Rushing (68) after hitting a grand slam during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers have scratched Dalton Rushing and Max Muncy from their lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals.

Rushing was set to be the designated hitter in his first start since being surprisingly activated on Sept. 1. Muncy was initially hitting cleanup.

Instead, Alex Call has moved to left field, Teoscar Hernández is the designated hitter and Kiké Hernández is playing third base.

Shohei Ohtani, who hasn't played since Wednesday, still remains out.

Dodgers Updated Starting Lineup on Saturday vs Nationals

  1. Tommy Edman, CF
  2. Freddie Freeman, 1B
  3. Mookie Betts, SS
  4. Kyle Tucker, RF
  5. Teoscar Hernández, DH
  6. Hunter Feduccia, C
  7. Alex Freeland, 2B
  8. Alex Call, LF
  9. Kiké Hernández, 3B

Why Were Dalton Rushing and Max Muncy Scratched From the Lineup?

The Dodgers announced that Rushing was scratched due to right elbow discomfort while Muncy is sick.

Rushing, who's dealing with a slightly torn UCL, surprisingly returned to the team this week without going on a rehab assignment.

Rushing is unable to catch (because he can't yet throw at full intensity), but rejoined the team as a left-handed hitter off the bench. With Ohtani out on Saturday, he was set to DH.

Since returning, Rushing has pinch-hit in each of the Dodgers' four games, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. He admitted that this new role would be something he had to adjust to.

"You're not really going up there to take your personal at-bat," Rushing said. "You're taking the team at-bat to figure out, 'What is it we need? Do we have a runner on third? Or am I leading off an inning? Am I trying to get a rally going?' 

"It's understanding what is the task at hand right there, and taking your at-bat as a professional. It doesn't change much. It's the same as taking four at-bats in a game, to an extent. But coming off the bench, you're usually coming in a little bit of a high-pressure situation."

As for Muncy, he's appeared in 130 games this season, slashing .245/.344/.482 with 26 home runs, 68 RBIs and an OPS of .826.

He's 0-for-10 with five strikeouts since the start of September.

How to Watch Dodgers vs Nationals on Saturday

First pitch for Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals on Saturday, Sept. 5 is 6:10 p.m. PT/9:10 p.m. ET.

The game will be broadcast on SportsNet LA and in the MLB app.

The game will be broadcast on the radio on AM570 (in English) and KTNQ 1020 AM (in Spanish).

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Dodgers on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.

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