Since Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith landed on the injured list in June, backup Dalton Rushing has taken the lion’s share of reps behind the plate.
Rushing has slowly eased his way into the role after serving as the primary backup for more than a calendar year, but is still producing at a solid level despite a recent skid at the plate. That skid ended in the Dodgers’ 9-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, during which he hit a home run and a double to drive in three runs.
“It’s what I’ve done for years in the past,” Rushing said of being in the starter role. “I wasn’t used to the [backup] role last year, and by no means do I want to say I wished for this opportunity. But I was making sure if it was given, that I was going to do my best to show them that I could play, show them I’m going to be in this league and play down here for as long as I possibly can.”
Manager Dave Roberts is impressed with how the second-year catcher has adapted to his new role in such a short time, and believes the experience will help him continue to grow as a player.
“What stood out is he’s learning on the run, learning on the job, thrust into it,” Roberts said. “But I do think that the last couple weeks, some of the struggles have helped him, and I think they’ll help him down the road, whether it’s at bat, behind the plate and staying with game plans, and things like that.”
How Long is Will Smith Out?
Smith first moved to the IL on June 11, with the cause of the injury reported as “neck stiffness.”
The catcher has since described his injury as an inflamed disc, and the Dodgers are unsure as to when he will return to action—estimating his return to come in the middle of August.
With Smith out for an extended period of time, the Dodgers will look to Rushing to continue performing at a top level, both on offense and defense. On the year so far, Rushing has 11 homers and 33 RBIs while posting a .812 OPS over the course of 67 games.
The Dodgers will obviously want Smith back as soon as possible, but can take solace in the fact that Rushing has things under control until then.
What have you made of Rushing’s performances since Smith went down?
One Response
Now he got his chance his doing a B+ job! It’s hard sitting on the bench and only play once or twice a week and expect to perform at an above level performance! As a former coach and and Gym teacher I can relate! The more repetitions the better you become!???