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Dalton Rushing snapped a nine-game hitless streak in emphatic fashion Wednesday night, belting a home run and ripping a double in the Dodgers’ 9-5 win over the Phillies, per the LA Times.

Rushing’s slump had been one of the quieter storylines heading into this series, but nine games without a hit is nine games without a hit — and for a young catcher still establishing himself at the big league level, those stretches can feel a lot longer than they actually are. The 23-year-old was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Louisville, and he’s been one of the organization’s most exciting catching prospects in years. He has legitimate pop from the left side, solid plate discipline, and the kind of bat that made the front office comfortable accelerating his timeline. With Will Smith on the 60-day IL and his return timeline still unclear, Rushing isn’t just auditioning — he’s the guy right now. Breaking out of a prolonged cold spell with a multi-hit game that includes a homer is exactly the kind of moment that can reset a young player’s confidence.

The home run was particularly encouraging. Rushing’s power has never been in question — he mashed at every level in the minors — but translating that raw thump against major league pitching, night after night, is the challenge. When you go hitless for nine straight, the tendency is to start pressing, expanding the zone, trying to manufacture something. The fact that he broke through with authority rather than a bloop single says something about his approach. The double adds to it. This wasn’t a lucky night — he was on the barrel twice.

The 9-5 win itself is worth highlighting because we needed it. After Emmet Sheehan‘s rough outing earlier in the series, the offense putting up nine runs is a nice palate cleanser (and Austin Barnes, freshly called up, gives Dave Roberts some flexibility behind the plate as well). Getting the split against Philadelphia — a team we’ll likely see again in October if things go right — matters.

For the Dodgers, Rushing’s development is one of the most important threads of the second half. Smith’s absence leaves a real hole, and the front office needs to know what they have in Rushing before making any deadline decisions about catching depth. A game like this doesn’t answer every question, but it’s a step in the right direction. If Rushing can hit consistently over the next couple of weeks, it changes the calculus on what the Dodgers need to go get before the trade deadline. If he can’t, catching becomes another line item on Andrew Friedman’s shopping list. I liked what I saw tonight. Let’s see if he carries it forward.

Source(s): Staff (LA Times) | First reported: July 23, 2026 2:34 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers