TORONTO –– For at least two days this week, young Dodgers slugger Dalton Rushing got to experience the life of a starting catcher.
On Sunday, Rushing was behind the plate for the team’s series finale in Washington, seemingly finding something with his swing when he belted a key two-run homer in the sixth inning that helped spur the club’s eventual five-run comeback.
Then, in a rare twist, he wound up back in the starting lineup Monday night in Toronto.
It was only the fourth time in his brief MLB career that Rushing –– the organization’s top hitting prospect when he was called up last year –– started games on consecutive days.
It won’t become a habit. Rushing remains on a one-start-per-series schedule. He only played Monday because manager Dave Roberts wanted to save Will Smith for Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s and Shohei Ohtani’s starts on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week’s series, respectively.
Still, for a 25-year-old talent still finding his footing in the big leagues, it nonetheless presented an important opportunity.
And in the Dodgers’ 14-2 rout of the Blue Jays, he took full advantage.
Rushing went 4-for-4 and reached base in all five of his plate appearances, including a hit-by-pitch. He belted two home runs that helped put the score out of reach, tying him for the team’s early-season long ball lead with three in a promising 48-hour span.
It was his best game yet in the majors, showcasing his natural power (his home runs traveled 415 and 413 feet) and refined approach in his second MLB season (he only chased two pitches out of the strike zone, and turned them both into hits).
It teased the potential the Dodgers have long seen in the former second-round draft selection –– a reminder that, even in the backup catcher spot, they have a hitter capable of doing unexpected damage.
“He’s just slowing down a little bit more, and I think his swing is much more simplified,” Roberts said. “Sometimes, when you don’t try to do too much, big things happen. I thought that was the case tonight.”
Not doing too much, of course, has been a challenge for Rushing ever since he made his debut last year.
Unlike most top prospects, he did not arrive in the majors with a clear pathway to playing time. He had to adapt to being a reserve, backing up a perennial All-Star in Smith.
It was difficult mentally, he repeatedly acknowledged both last season (when he hit just .204 with four home runs in 53 games, while striking out more than a third of the time) and again during spring training this year.
Long-term, he reiterated Monday, it’s a not a job he wants to hold forever, either.
“I’m not worried about being a backup my whole career,” he said.
What’s different about Rushing now, however, is the way he has embraced his current situation. He’s approaching his part-time duties with a renewed perspective and open mindset.
“I’m going to take advantage of this time and learn as much as I possibly can from it,” he said Monday night. “Some of the best catchers, best players, in this sport started as backups. So you play your role to the best of your ability, and then you get opportunities.”
That’s the same message Dodgers brass have imparted on Rushing this season. As Roberts noted Monday, he still has “a lot to learn to be an every-day catcher for a championship team.”
“Is he talented enough to be an every-day catcher in the big leagues? Absolutely,” Roberts said. “But there are some mistakes we can’t afford to have. I think the at-bat quality will continue to get better. The preparation and gameplanning, the fingers will get better and the relationships with pitchers will get better. All of that takes time.”
“There’s a lot you can learn from watching,” the manager added.
Which is why, when asked what he thinks he can do to earn more playing time, Rushing didn’t point to home runs or hitting stats.
“I would say just being a professional is going to get me on the field,” he countered.
After all, if Rushing’s future is going to be with the Dodgers, it will require more patience given their established, star-studded roster.
Smith is under contract through the 2033 campaign: “Make no mistake who our starting catcher is,” Roberts said.
First base, Rushing’s next best defensive position, is also occupied by Freddie Freeman, who has said he wants to play another three seasons after this one.
For now, it leaves Rushing seemingly blocked in the organization. In last year’s postseason, he was even suplanted as the backup backstop by the since-departed Ben Rortvedt.
That reality, however, has given him motivation, not discouragement. And if it can lead to more nights like Monday, it will also give the Dodgers more to think about.
“I’m continuing to learn every day,” Rushing said. “And I want to be one of these guys in a few years.”
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