Los Angeles Dodgers top prospect Dalton Rushing was forced to exit the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets’ game on Tuesday after taking a foul ball off his catcher’s mask.
Rushing was on the ground for about a minute before getting to his feet and staying in the game. However, in the bottom half of the inning, he was pinch-hit for and exited the game.
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Here’s a video of the play:
Rushing, 24, is the Dodgers’ No. 2 overall prospect on MLB Pipeline behind Roki Sasaki and the No. 1 hitting prospect. He is expected to debut at some point this season, but currently is blocked by catchers Will Smith, Austin Barnes, and even Hunter Feduccia.
Last year, the Dodgers started using Rushing in the outfield in the hopes of finding him a path to the big leagues there. This year, though, they appear set on him continuing his progression as a catcher.
This offseason, Rushing told Dodgers Nation that he would be open to any position on this team, but would love to be a catcher in this organization down the road.
“Whatever proposes itself the earliest, the soonest, whatever way I can help on this team, I’m just gonna take advantage of that opportunity,” Rushing said on Dodgers Dougout Live. “And down the road if catching is the true piece that I’d hold onto, then we’ll cross that bridge.”
He also made it known his job was to just help the Dodgers’ current catcher, Will Smith, be great.
“From a catching perspective, my job is to step in and make Will’s job easier. Give him a little bit of time,” Rushing said. “Let him be the player that he is and continue to make a name for himself and make a push for the Hall of Fame.”
Rushing dealt with a concussion in 2023 after getting hit by a backswing that impacted him for a lot of the season. Last year, across 115 games at Double-A and Triple-A, Rushing slashed .271/.385/.512 with 26 home runs and 85 RBIs.
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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