Dalton Rushing left Friday night’s game when the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the Baltimore Orioles after fouling a ball directly off his right leg in the sixth inning. The rookie catcher immediately dropped to the ground in visible pain and needed the assistance of manager Dave Roberts and a trainer to leave the field. The club later announced that Rushing exited the game with a right leg contusion.
The play unfolded with two outs in the inning, when Rushing’s swing sent the ball into the inside of his knee. Unable to continue, he leaned on Roberts and the medical staff as they escorted him off, avoiding any weight on the injured leg. Pinch-hitter Alex Call came in to complete the at-bat and struck out, while Ben Rortvedt took over behind the plate in the bottom half of the frame.
The injury comes at a difficult moment for the Dodgers’ catching depth, which had already been thinned. Three-time All-Star Will Smith has been sidelined since Wednesday after taking a foul ball off his right hand in Pittsburgh. Smith is considered day-to-day with a contusion, and Roberts noted before the game that he could return later in the series against the Orioles. However, a more realistic timeline might be the upcoming homestand against the Colorado Rockies beginning Monday.
With Smith unavailable and Rushing now hurt, Rortvedt was left as the only active catcher for the Dodgers. The situation highlights the fragility of Will Smith’s availability, as the team had relied on Rushing to handle starts behind the plate. Rortvedt, recently added to the roster, is now tasked with carrying the workload until there is more clarity on both injuries.
If the Dodgers require additional coverage, for now, Rortvedt takes over, but the organization could turn to Triple-A backup option Chuckie Robinson. The catcher, claimed off waivers in May and later removed from the 40-man roster, would need a corresponding roster move to be activated. Robinson was in action Friday night with Oklahoma City, underscoring how thin the Dodgers’ catching situation has become if Rushing is unable to return soon.
