Already playing without Will Smith as he recovers from a bone bruise in his right hand, the Los Angeles Dodgers now face an injury concern with Dalton Rushing.
He was removed from Friday’s game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his right knee/upper shin area. Rushing took a big swing and went down in a heap of pain after the ball went off his leg.
Rushing writhed on the ground in pain while he was checked on by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and trainer Yosuke “Possum” Nakajima. They eventually helped carry Rushing off the field, as he was unable to put any weight on his right leg.
The Dodgers announced Rushing came out of the game due to a right lower leg contusion.
Alex Call finished Rushing’s at-bat and Ben Rortvedt then took over behind the plate in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rortvedt joined the Dodgers on Thursday in the wake of Smith being deemed unavailable after taking a foul ball off his right hand.
It marked an early end to what had been a difficult night for Rushing. Dodgers pitchers threw three wild pitches while Rushing was in the game, including one that allowed a runner to score from second base.
Rushing has been behind the plate for five wild pitches the last two games.
Dodgers catching options
Prior to Rushing’s injury, manager Dave Roberts had indicated Smith would not be in the Dodgers’ lineup for the remainder of the road trip. It’s possible the team will make an adjustment over the next two days, but not if it were to potentially compromise Smith’s health.
That could lead to Rortvedt taking over as the Dodgers’ primary catcher for the time being. If Smith and Rushing are to both miss more time beyond the next few days, it would require the Dodgers to tap further into their organizational depth at the position.
Chuckie Robinson and Chris Okey are both with Triple-A Oklahoma City, though neither is on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. They could look to go outside the organization, but adding a new player at this juncture would not be eligible for the playoffs due to missing the Aug. 31 cutoff.
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