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Both Kyle Tucker and Dalton Rushing left Monday’s series opener against the Twins early — Tucker pulled in the second inning with back spasms, Rushing removed when the bottom of the third began — but the Dodgers believe they escaped without serious damage in either case, per DodgerBlue.com. Tucker is described as optimistic about his status, and the club has a backup plan ready if Rushing needs to miss time.

Tucker’s early exit understandably set off alarms. He signed the largest free-agent contract in baseball history to come to Los Angeles, and the Dodgers need him healthy and in the middle of that lineup every night. Back spasms can be tricky — sometimes they resolve in a day or two, sometimes they linger — but Tucker being optimistic is a good sign. He’s been everything the Dodgers hoped for this season, and losing him for any extended stretch would be a significant blow to an offense that’s already navigating the absence of Will Smith due to a neck injury. The fact that the team became the first to 50 wins this season while pulling two key players early tells you something about the depth on this roster, but nobody wants to test that depth more than necessary.

Rushing’s situation is the one I’m watching more closely. Concussions are not something you mess around with, and if he enters the league’s concussion protocol, the Dodgers would need a third catcher on the roster. That’s never an ideal position to be in, especially with Smith already on the shelf. Rushing has been handling starting duties behind the plate and has shown he belongs at this level, both with the glove and at the plate. Losing him even temporarily would force the Dodgers to get creative with their catching depth — and it sounds like the front office is already thinking through those scenarios.

The good news is that the Dodgers apparently have a contingency in place. That’s the kind of organizational preparedness you expect from Andrew Friedman’s group. Whether that means a minor league call-up or some other roster maneuver, they’re not going to be caught flat-footed. For now, the best-case scenario is that Tucker’s back loosens up quickly and Rushing clears any evaluation without entering protocol. But if either situation takes a turn, the Dodgers are positioned to absorb it — at least in the short term.

We’re in a stretch where the Dodgers are winning at an elite clip, but the injury list keeps demanding attention. Getting through this Twins series and the upcoming road trip without losing more bodies is quietly one of the bigger storylines for this team right now. I’d expect updates on both Tucker and Rushing before Tuesday’s game.

Source(s): Staff (DodgerBlue.com) | First reported: June 23, 2026 1:09 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers