Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing had a rough game on Wednesday, June 24th, behind the dish, getting into a disagreement with Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani, while a superstar with a ton of pressure on his shoulders, plays very lightly on the field, treating the game like the kids’ game it is.
He typically smiles and laughs throughout a game, while maintaining an overall professional approach when in the batter’s box.
When pitching, Ohtani is more dialed in and looks like a true animal, looking to blow hitters away with his stuff and completely shut them down.
Ohtani, even when pitching, is rarely confrontational, but in the second inning, he showed a rare bit of emotion and notable frustration not with himself, but instead with Dalton Rushing’s reluctance to use ABS challenges and the pitch calling.
Why was Shohei Ohtani frustrated with Dalton Rushing?
In the inning, he allowed three singles that loaded the bases, and Ohtani said after the game that he did not like what was being called.
“It’s more of the in-game flexibility, just reading the swings, reading how the hitters are taking their approach during the game, that I see, where you know where the adjustment needs to happen,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.
Additionally, there was a mix-up on one of the pitches, during which Rushing called two pitches and ended up confused on what was coming, leading to a passed ball.
Then, there were two pitches that Ohtani challenged despite Rushing shaking his head; in both instances, he was right.
For the third inning, Ohtani ended up calling his own game, punching in his pitches into his PitchCom device.
“There’s really a couple ways of communicating,” Ohtani said. “One is by words, but the other way to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking the charge and showing Rush what kind of pitching style I’m capable of.”
What did Dave Roberts say about Dalton Rushing?
Dave Roberts was one of the figures who consoled Rushing during the game, along with pitching coach Mark Prior and first baseman Freddie Freeman.
They all put their arm around him, and after the game, Roberts did not hold back on how the Dodgers view Rushing as a catcher.
“It’s a work in progress,” Roberts said. “There’s a learning curve for everything. He’s still trying to find his way in the big leagues, he’s trying to perform offensively.”
With Will Smith out of action, Rushing will get more chances to iron out his mistakes.
