It May Be Time for the Dodgers to Give Dalton Rushing a Reset

The young catcher has repeatedly let his emotions get the best of him lately.

Dalton Rushing (pictured) had a very public disagreement with Shohei Ohtani during Wednesday’s game. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For all of his heroics and superhuman qualities on the baseball diamond, one of Shohei Ohtani’s most impressive traits is his seemingly effortless ability to remain calm and collected at virtually all times. There’s hardly anything that fazes Ohtani, whether it be on the mound or in the batter’s box, and the care-free nature in which he plays the game is part of what makes him so special to watch.

That being said, the unflappable Ohtani was clearly a bit miffed Wednesday during his start against the Twins after he and catcher Dalton Rushing got their wires crossed early in the game. There was some noticeable miscommunication between Ohtani and Rushing in the second inning, resulting in a passed ball that scored Minnesota’s Tristan Gray.

In the very next at-bat, Ohtani gestured that he wanted to issue a challenge on a pitch he felt clipped the bottom of the strike zone. Rushing, rather animatedly, made clear he disagreed. In the end, Ohtani got his wish and was successful in overturning the call from home plate umpire Ryan Additon. Despite winning the challenge, Ohtani surrendered a two-run single to Kreidler just two pitches later, as the Twins extended their lead to 3–1.

Shohei's had enough of these non-challenges from Rushing. pic.twitter.com/K1uFNycp7t

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 25, 2026

With Rushing and Ohtani not in sync, the Japanese superstar opted to call his own pitches for the remainder of the game, seemingly not satisfied with what Rushing was calling behind the plate. The results improved dramatically from there, as Ohtani struck out the side in order in the bottom of the third and didn’t surrender a run for the remainder of his outing.

It was a rough night for Rushing, who also went 0-for-4 at the plate, and he acknowledged as much after the game.

Dalton Rushing is not pleased with himself pic.twitter.com/nidYX2jhZm

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 25, 2026

“Good thing [Ohtani] is as good as he is and he can take control of the game, but it’s pretty embarrassing,” he admitted to reporters.

Rushing could be seen in the dugout speaking with veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman, manager Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior after the incident, as they appeared to be giving him some words of support and advice.

“They’ve always got my back. Once again, it’s embarrassing that I need support like that. I’m a grown man, and it’s a pretty tough pill to swallow,” Rushing said of that interaction.

Rushing took accountability for his shortcomings on Wednesday, and although Roberts told reporters the young catcher didn’t have to worry about losing his role, perhaps that’s something that warrants further consideration from the Dodgers.

Rushing got off to a hot start this season at the plate, logging a 1.271 OPS in 15 games in March and April. In May, however, Rushing recorded a .385 OPS in 16 games and didn’t have a single extra-base hit. He’s hit just one home run in his last 39 games and has struck out 37 times in that span.

He’s also been at the center of some rather contentious moments, including an illegal slide at second base against the Pirates, which resulted in an automatic runner interference call, as well as an incident in which he appeared to have some out-of-line comments about Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya after failing to throw him out at second base.

Despite his strong start to the season, it seems as if Rushing may be in need of a reset, both mentally and physically, when Will Smith is ready to return from the injured list. Smith is the Dodgers’ starting catcher, but he’s been on the IL since early June with a neck injury. Unfortunately, his recovery hit something of a setback and he’s still not yet resumed baseball activities. When he does return to his duties behind the plate, however, it could be beneficial for the Dodgers to temporarily demote Rushing to Triple A as a means of getting him back on track.

Rushing is just 25 years old and has only played 100 games in the majors. With Smith on the shelf, the Dodgers are leaning heavily upon him at catcher, with rarely used Chuckie Robinson serving as the backup. They’ll need to continue utilizing that tandem for now, but when Smith is back up and running, it could be an opportune time to give Rushing some time in the minors.

There’s a lot of pressure that comes with catching for some of the best arms in MLB, particularly Ohtani. Rushing, who is a very emotive player, was clearly frustrated with his play on Wednesday night. A short stint in Oklahoma City could be exactly what he needs to get his confidence back. It would be a temporary move, undoubtedly, as Rushing is still a valuable member of the team. But it’s already a foregone conclusion that the Dodgers will be in the postseason, and they’ll want Rushing to have a clear head and a hot bat for the playoff run as they aim for a World Series three-peat. Allowing him some time in Triple A, where he logged a .953 OPS in 35 games last season, could be exactly what he needs.

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