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Shohei Ohtani avoided surgery after his injury-plagued 2026 season.
Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing, however, wasn’t so lucky.
Rushing was set to undergo an internal brace procedure on Wednesday to address the damaged ligament in his right throwing elbow, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.
The operation will come with a nine-month timeline to return to full catching duties, as the Los Angeles Times first reported, but the expectation is that he could be ready as a hitter by the beginning of next season.
Rushing initially hurt his elbow at the beginning of August, while playing catch in the outfield before the start of a game. He spent much of the final two months of the regular season on the injured list, returning for only six days in early September before going down again when he suffered a setback in his throwing progression.
Rushing was healthy enough to be activated for hitting-only duties during the final week of the regular season. However, he did not make the team’s postseason roster, bypassed by rookie sensation Josue De Paula as the team’s left-handed bench bat in October.
Now, more uncertainty awaits Rushing, who is two years removed from his debut as one of the club’s top prospects.
For all the strides he took in his second MLB campaign –– batting .246 with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 80 games, including an extended stint in June and July as the fill-in starter behind the plate during Will Smith’s neck injury –– his place in the team’s long-term plans remains unclear.
Rushing’s surgery likely opens a pathway for Hunter Feduccia to begin next season in the backup catcher role, where he impressed as Rushing’s replacement down the stretch this year.
Where Rushing will fit into the early-season roster is unknown.
Though he could still offer an option off the bench with his bat, there might be few opportunities for regular playing time with Shohei Ohtani entrenched as the designated hitter and Freddie Freeman at first base.
It’s all just another setback for the 25-year-old slugger, who has yet to truly flourish at the big-league level.