Dalton Rushing keeps finding himself in the middle of trade chatter, and now Will Smith’s latest injury update has only added more fuel to it.
Rushing has been tied to vague rumors since before he even reached the majors. The logic has always been easy enough to see: were the Dodgers really going to keep their No. 1 prospect parked behind Will Smith for a decade? Even with Rushing’s on-field antics, there’s been a case for Los Angeles to eventually cash him in if the right offer ever surfaced.
For now, though, the Dodgers have stayed the course. And according to Jeff Passan, the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees could be among the teams that would have interest if Rushing were made available. Dodgers insiders have pushed back on the idea, but the speculation hasn’t gone away.
Smith’s injury situation only gives the rumors more oxygen. During the Dodgers’ second game against the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend, David Vassegh said Dave Roberts " doesn't see Smith coming back anytime before the end of July."
That means Rushing is set to keep handling the catching job for a while longer.
Rushing’s bat has also started to perk back up. He was scorching in April, cooled off after that, and now looks closer to that early version again in July.
He’s hitting .308/.367/.538 this month, and on July 6 he delivered the walk-off hit against the Colorado Rockies - the same day he also appeared to spark a shouting match with Cole Carrigg. On the season, he’s at .254 with a .812 OPS in 61 games heading into the All-Star break, production that looks plenty useful for a backup catcher.
His behavior could complicate any trade market, but it hasn’t seemed to scare off the idea of interest from clubs like the Yankees, at least as far as the source reporting goes.
The most likely outcome is still that Rushing stays in Los Angeles and keeps playing while Smith’s absence stretches on. But with the Dodgers said to be targeting minor league depth at the deadline, Smith’s prolonged IL stay gives Rushing more time to build his value before any decision has to be made.
In Other News...
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Veteran Exit And A Bigger Roster Crossroads
The Dodgers pitching depth took another small hit when a veteran left-hander chose free agency after being designated for assignment, a move that came once Landon Knack was activated from the injured list. It is the kind of roster churn that has become familiar for a club trying to keep its rotation covered while waiting for injured starters to work back, and it adds one more layer to a staff that has been constantly in motion.
Freddie Freeman also offered a reminder that the season can make long-term questions feel distant, saying he is focused on this year and would like to get to 20 major league seasons. Meanwhile, Dave Roberts addressed Eric Lauers place as a sixth starter and acknowledged the possibility that he could become a trade piece before the Aug. 3 deadline if the Dodgers get healthier in the rotation, which leaves the club balancing immediate innings against whatever comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers May Finally Have The Young Arm This Rotation Needs
With the All-Star break here and the Dodgers sitting atop the standings, the front office can afford to think beyond the next series and toward the kind of rotation help that tends to matter most in October. One name worth watching is River Ryan, whose return from injury has been moving along with the kind of patience Los Angeles prefers when it is dealing with a young arm it believes can matter later.
Andrew Friedman has made it clear the Dodgers are not interested in rushing the process, even with the need for another starter looming in the background. Ryan is expected to work his way back into the mix later this season, and if everything goes smoothly from here, the club may finally get a better sense of how soon he can become part of the answer rather than just another promising arm on the way up. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Have A Bigger Roki Sasaki Concern Than They Realized
Roki Sasakis first season in Los Angeles has been bumpy enough that the Dodgers are spending the All-Star break looking for answers, not just results. He finished his final start before the break with six innings of work, allowing four hits and three earned runs, and the broader line has been hard to ignore: a 3-5 record and a 5.33 ERA through 16 starts.
The encouraging part for the Dodgers is that Sasaki is still in the rotation, which gives the club time to keep working through what has gone wrong. The less comforting part is how quickly the conversation has shifted from simple command issues to a deeper mechanical concern, and the next few weeks should tell whether the break gives him a reset or only a brief pause in a season that has already asked a lot of him. [Read more 🡒]