The Dodgers are taking a wait-and-see approach with Dalton Rushing, but the clock is already ticking toward a decision that could reshape the rest of his season and beyond.
Rushing is on the 10-day injured list with a small tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament, and the team does not expect him to catch again this year. Manager Dave Roberts said that path is “unlikely,” though the Dodgers are still holding out hope that surgery can be avoided for now.
For the moment, Rushing’s value would have to come in a much narrower role. He could still be used as a bat off the bench, but only as a pinch-hitter or as the designated hitter, a spot that is obviously occupied by Shohei Ohtani.
The bigger issue is whether the Dodgers are simply delaying the inevitable. Tommy John surgery remains on the table, but the team wants to give Rushing two weeks of rest and treatment before making a final call.
“Fair question,” Roberts said. “I think over the next couple weeks, I think we’ll have a better idea of how he’s responding with time.
And I think obviously that’s a Dalton question too. It’s organizational, but it’s doctor and kind of laying all the variables out, and then making a decision.
“But I do think there’s really not much cost outside of two weeks or whatever, to kind of wait and see how he responds to some treatment and stuff they decide to do.”
If the Dodgers decide on Tommy John surgery sooner, Rushing’s season is over. By waiting, they keep a tiny door open for him to catch again, while also increasing the chance that he can at least help as a left-handed bat off the bench.
“Just looking at the roster, having a potential left-handed bat could be really helpful,” Roberts said.
Rushing won’t throw for the next four to six weeks, and the next two weeks of treatment will go a long way in determining what comes next for the 25-year-old.
The Dodgers’ catching depth has already been tested. With both Rushing and Will Smith on the injured list, the club added Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Smith is expected back by September and should reclaim the starting catching job, while Rortvedt is projected to handle most of the starts in the meantime.
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