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Dalton Rushing is getting his opportunity to serve as the Dodgers’ starting catcher with Will Smith sidelined, per Jack Harris at the New York Post. It’s the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come along often for a young player, and how Rushing handles it could shape the Dodgers’ catching situation for the rest of the season and beyond.

Rushing, the Dodgers’ first-round pick (18th overall) in the 2022 draft out of Louisville, has long been considered one of the organization’s top prospects. He’s a switch-hitter with legitimate power from both sides of the plate — a rare and valuable trait for a catcher. He climbed through the minors quickly, reaching Triple-A Oklahoma City and earning brief looks at the big-league level. His bat has always been the calling card, but the defensive side of his game has developed steadily. He’s shown solid receiving skills and an improving ability to manage a pitching staff, which is arguably the hardest part of catching at this level. This is the moment the Dodgers have been building him toward.

Smith’s absence creates a real window here. Smith has been one of the best offensive catchers in baseball since establishing himself as the everyday guy, consistently posting OPS numbers well above league average for the position. He’s a cornerstone piece. But with him out, someone has to step in and produce, and the Dodgers clearly believe Rushing is ready for that responsibility. Aiden Robinson was called up from Triple-A earlier to provide depth, but this is about Rushing taking on the primary role behind the plate.

I think this is the right call. Rushing has earned this. You don’t draft a catcher in the first round and develop him through your system just to let the opportunity pass when it presents itself. The Dodgers’ pitching staff is dealing with its own challenges right now — we’ve seen Jordan Wrobleski battling a hamstring issue, and Shohei Ohtani has been dealing with knee inflammation — so having a catcher who can build rapport with this group quickly matters. It’s not just about what Rushing does at the plate. It’s about how he handles a staff that’s navigating some bumps.

The bigger picture for the Dodgers is straightforward. This stretch without Smith is a test, but it’s also an evaluation period. If Rushing steps in and handles himself well — both offensively and defensively — it strengthens the organization’s depth chart in a meaningful way. It could also factor into how the front office approaches the trade deadline. If catching is covered internally, that’s one fewer position of need to address. If Rushing struggles, the calculus changes. Either way, we’re about to learn something real about where he is in his development, and that information is valuable no matter how it shakes out.

Source(s): Jack Harris (New York Post) | First reported: June 13, 2026 3:08 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers