Dodgers Prospect Dalton Rushing Had Incredible Reaction to Facing Former Cy Young Winner
Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect Dalton Rushing faced Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in Tuesday’s Triple-A matchup.
DeGrom is in the midst of his rehab assignment after the Texas Rangers ace underwent reconstructive surgery on his right UCL in 2023.
Rushing finished the game with two home runs and five RBIs against Round Rock, but deGrom posted two scoreless innings to begin the game.
Rushing had the opportunity to face one of the best in MLB with deGrom on the mound.
“It’s probably the best fastball I’ve ever seen standing in a box,” Rushing told Dodgers Nation Doug McKain. “It’s very cool. It’s like a kind of a realization moment I get in the box, ‘He’s not gonna groove me heaters. I don’t care how good it is. I know it’s not gonna happen.’ First pitch, he goes 100 right above the zone. [I] kind of give him a look. I’m like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s what that looks like.’ And I kind of looked at him, and from there, [DeGrom] threw two changeups off of it. Two really good pitches, I’ll take my ground out, and it was one of those things, like, ‘Hey, I understand what the best looks like now’. And that was kind of a boost of confidence, saying, like, ‘Hey, if that’s the best, like, a really good position.’”
After being promoted in early August, Rushing has reached base in each of the first 22 games he’s played far for Oklahoma City. He’s slashing .308/.439/.551 with five home runs, four doubles, 18 runs scored and 15 RBIs.
Rushing not only had to adjust to a higher caliber of competition in Triple-A, but he also had to adapt to a new position.
Rushing has played almost exclusively in left field since he joined Oklahoma City since the club already had a slew of catchers on their roster.
Manager Travis Barbary also said switching from catcher to left field gives Rushing versatility as he inches closer to a major league debut.
The Dodgers certainly value Rushing. The club was reportedly unwilling to give him up in a trade for Garett Crochet from the White Sox.
Rushing didn’t get promoted in Sunday’s lineup expansion, as the Dodgers called up Michael Grove, Justin Wrobleski and Andy Pages. Nevertheless, it’s evident the Los Angeles front office has closely monitored the 23-year-old’s progress..
Photo Credit: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
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