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Dodgers Catcher Removed From Orioles Game After Scary At-Bat

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 10:21 PM ET

The Los Angeles Dodgers' woes in the catcher position continue. Already without All-Star backstop Will Smith due to a right-hand issue, the Dodgers lost backup catcher Dalton Rushing to a lower-body injury during Friday night's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles.

Rushing had a painful moment at the plate in the sixth inning, while facing Orioles reliever Kade Strowd. After making contact on Strowd's 94 mph pitch, Rushing fell to he ground when the ball bounced off his right leg. Rushing immediately fell to the ground, as Dodgers trainer Yosuke Nakajima rushed to attend to him. He was later lifted out of the game." Dalton Rushing left the game with a right lower leg contusion," the Dodgers shared in a social media post on X.

Before he exited the contest, Rushing went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts. Alex Call took over the at-bat from Rushing, but struck out swinging in lieu of the catcher. Meanwhile, Ben Rortvedt was assigned the catching duties for the remainder of the game.

Losing Smith is already a big deal for the Dodgers, considering how good he has been with the bat in the 2025 MLB regular season. Rushing, on the other hand, is not hitting remotely close to the level that Smith has done, thus far. While Smith is hitting .296/.405/.497 with 17 home runs and a .902 OPS, Rushing is slashing just .190/.254/.298 with three homers and a .552 OPS, as the chief backup catcher.

Making the night worse for the Dodgers was the fact that they suffered a 2-1 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards in Baltimore. It was the reigning World Series champions' fourth defeat in a row, as they entered the Baltimore series on the heels of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Los Angeles has also lost six of its last eight outings.

The Dodgers dropped to 78-63 following the loss to Baltimore. They will look to right the ship again this Saturday, when they give the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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