Dalton Rushing is a left-handed hitting catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers who has taken over the team’s primary catching duties in 2026 while All-Star Will Smith recovers from a neck injury. The 25-year-old Memphis native was a second-round pick out of Louisville in 2022, debuted in the majors in 2025, and has become one of the more closely watched young players in baseball this season for both his production and his combative style of play.
As of late July 2026, Rushing is batting .257 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI. According to his official Baseball-Reference profile, he maintains an on-base percentage near .339 and an OPS around .820. He has provided steady offense and defense during an extended run of starts, helping keep the Dodgers competitive in the National League West while also drawing attention in trade rumors ahead of the deadline.
Early Life and College Career
Dalton Wayne Rushing was born February 21, 2001, in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Brighton High School in Brighton, Tennessee, where he hit .491 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI as a senior in 2019 and earned player of the year recognition in his district. He went undrafted out of high school and enrolled at the University of Louisville.
At Louisville, Rushing initially played behind Henry Davis, the 2021 first overall pick, and spent his early seasons filling in at first base and off the bench. His draft stock rose sharply during the summer of 2021 when he hit .314 with six home runs in the Cape Cod League. After Davis left for professional baseball, Rushing took over as Louisville’s starting catcher in 2022 and had a breakout junior season: a .310 average, 23 home runs, 62 RBI and a .686 slugging percentage in 64 games. He earned All-American and All-ACC honors that year.
Draft and Minor League Development
The Dodgers selected Rushing in the second round, 40th overall, in the 2022 MLB Draft and signed him for a bonus of roughly $1.96 million. He made an immediate impact as a professional, posting a 1.262 OPS across 30 games in his debut season between the Arizona Complex League and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.
He continued to move quickly through the system over the next two seasons. In 2023, he hit 15 home runs in 89 games for High-A Great Lakes and was selected to the All-Star Futures Game. In 2024, he split time between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City, finishing with 26 home runs and 85 RBI across 114 games while maintaining an on-base percentage over .380. That performance earned him the organization’s minor league player of the year award.
MLB Debut and 2025 Season
Rushing opened 2025 at Triple-A Oklahoma City, hitting .308 with five home runs in 31 games before the Dodgers promoted him on May 14. He debuted the next day against the Athletics and picked up two hits in the game. He hit his first major league home run on May 31 against the New York Yankees.
Across 53 games in 2025, Rushing batted .204 with four home runs and 24 RBI while filling in at catcher, first base and designated hitter. He appeared in one postseason game as a pinch hitter and earned a World Series ring as part of the Dodgers’ championship roster that year.
2026 Season: From Backup to Everyday Starter
Rushing began 2026 as the backup to Will Smith. He showed early power, including a four-hit, two-home run game against Toronto on April 6 and a grand slam against the Mets. When Smith went on the injured list in early June with neck inflammation, Rushing stepped into the everyday catching role. The Dodgers also opened a permanent spot for him in mid-May by designating longtime backup Austin Barnes for assignment.
Since taking over the job, Rushing has started the large majority of games behind the plate. He endured a difficult stretch in mid-July, going 0-for-19 over nine games, but responded with a multi-hit run that included a three-run home run on July 30 against the Seattle Mariners that provided the winning margin in a 6-2 Dodgers win.
2026 Season Statistics
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| Batting average | .257 |
| On-base percentage | .339 |
| Home runs | 12 |
| RBI | 36 |
| OPS | .820 |
Manager Dave Roberts has publicly voiced confidence in Rushing’s ability to handle the everyday workload and manage the pitching staff, including catching starts for Shohei Ohtani. Smith has resumed baseball activities and could return by mid-August, but the Dodgers have not pursued a major catching upgrade at the trade deadline, a sign of their trust in Rushing’s development.
Trade Deadline Speculation
With the August 3, 2026 trade deadline approaching, Rushing’s name has come up repeatedly in MLB trade deadline rumors. Reports have given real credence to a potential trade, with the Texas Rangers mentioned as a team with strong interest given their lack of a long-term catching solution. The Dodgers have not been reported as actively shopping him, but Smith’s 10-year contract, which runs through 2034, gives the club depth at the position that makes Rushing a plausible trade chip for a team seeking immediate catching help.
On-Field Scrutiny and Incidents
Rushing’s aggressive, old-school approach to the game has drawn criticism at multiple points this season. In June 2026, he was called for interference during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after a slide that violated MLB’s bona fide slide rule, which wiped out a Dodgers rally.
He has also clashed verbally with players on the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants, as well as with umpires, over the course of the season. In late April, he was caught on camera appearing to direct a derogatory comment at Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya, an incident that drew significant media coverage. Rushing later addressed the criticism directly, saying he deleted his social media accounts in response to ongoing coverage of his on-field conduct. Teammates have generally described his intensity as an asset rather than a problem, saying it reflects the edge that makes him effective.
Playing Style and Scouting Profile
At 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, Rushing bats left and throws right. He has primarily caught in 2026, appearing in more than 50 games behind the plate, while also seeing time at first base. Scouts have long praised his raw power from the left side, particularly to the pull field, along with a compact, direct swing and a patient approach that produces high walk rates. His defense, especially his receiving skills, remains a developing part of his game, and the Dodgers have used his versatility across catcher, first base and the outfield to keep his bat in the lineup.
Career Accolades
- 2025 World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2023 All-Star Futures Game selection
- 2022 All-American and All-ACC honoree at Louisville
- 2024 Dodgers organization minor league player of the year
Looking Ahead
At 25 years old and with less than two full major league seasons under his belt, Rushing remains early in his career development. His performance in an expanded 2026 role has given the Dodgers a clearer picture of whether he can eventually share or take over primary catching duties long term. For now, his path forward depends on two factors still in motion: whether the Dodgers keep him past the August 3 trade deadline, and how quickly Smith returns to full health.
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