Dalton Rushing is hoping that the 2026 season will go a bit more smoothly than his rookie campaign.
Once viewed as the crown jewel within the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, Rushing made his MLB debut in 2025 — ultimately usurping the backup catcher role from veteran Austin Barnes.
While there were glimpses of a highly productive player, Rushing’s year ended up being a rough one. He hit .204 in 142 regular season at-bats. Even more challenging for the 24-year-old, he lost the backup catcher spot to Ben Rortvedt during the postseason.
As 2026 approaches, the Dodgers clearly are hoping the bat that made him such a promising prospect will reemerge. Being a young player searching for consistency and confidence, that likely will only occur with regular appearances at the plate.
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Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation recently spoke about a report from the Los Angeles Times in which it was revealed that Rushing could see some time in left field. With Michael Conforto now a free agent, one of the corner outfield spots appears to be open at this given time.
“I think this is a sign from this Dodgers organization that they realize that you have to be able to give him everyday at-bats. Or at least more consistent at-bats if you’re going to expect him to do anything at the plate,” McKain said.
In an earlier interview McKain had with Rushing, while the catcher admitted that he was doing everything he could to be game-ready with the help of various machines, there’s really nothing truly available to fully simulate live-action pitching.
There’s been no real indication that the Dodgers will trade Rushing. Given the desire to keep Will Smith fresh, coupled with the ages of Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez, there’s a world where Rushing could get regular at-bat opportunities in some capacity.
Much of this will depend on what the team does to address outfield concerns. It’s highly unlikely a Rushing/Alex Call platoon will occur in left field given how disappointing Conforto was last season.
At the very least, Rushing’s positional versatility could enable him to firmly embed himself into the mix as a real difference-maker in 2026.
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Photo Credit: Dennis Poroy-Imagn Images
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