An apology was issued nearly 10 days ago. That was one incident. The benches clearing on Monday night against the Colorado Rockies after a heated moment was another instance. But you may be wondering who was at the center of it all. Well, it was Dalton Rushing. And now he’s addressing everything that has happened.

“I wouldn’t say I try to do it,” Rushing said on Petros and Money on Tuesday, as posted by Jomboy Media on X. “I think it just kind of is a little second nature, the competitive side of the game. When the competitive juices start flowing, it’s kind of like a third-person view. Your body takes over, and you just play the game as hard as you possibly can.

“That’s honestly the way that I’ve looked at the occurrences that have happened this year. It’s coming out of a competitive nature, and really just me making sure I can do whatever I can to make sure we win.”

This season, the Dodgers became the first club to put 60 wins on the board, and even when they faced hiccups, they have stood tall. When their primary catcher Will Smith was put on the injury list because of neck inflammation and an inflamed disc, manager Dave Roberts turned to Dalton Rushing. And while he has put up decent numbers, his emotional outbursts have often been controversial.

Just look at what happened on June 24 against the Minnesota Twins.

In the second inning, the Dodgers’ two-way phenom and Rushing had their signals crossed. To make matters worse, he accidentally pressed the buttons on the PitchCom device, resulting in a different pitch call. Shohei Ohtani then threw a fastball that the 25-year-old failed to catch, which allowed the Twins a run on the passed ball.

But if you thought the awkwardness ended there, the game had more in store.

When Ohtani wanted to challenge a borderline strike zone call with a pitcher’s challenge, Rushing initially shook his head. As a result, the 32-year-old tapped his helmet to overrule the catcher. And his challenge was successful.

By this time, though, the frustration had peaked for Ohtani, who began calling his own pitches directly from the mound. Now, this disconnect between the two players from the same team was not lost on the fans, and it was only a matter of time before it made headlines; once it did, Rushing acknowledged being in the wrong, saying he’s “going to get better.”

Adding to the emotional outburst of the player, back in mid-May when the Dodgers won their second consecutive game over the Giants, Rushing clearly had a frustrating day as he had gone 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. And his meltdown after that? Well, it was for the world to see.

The broadcast cameras caught him beating himself in the head with his bat once he returned to the dugout. In fact, even later, he was seen screaming into his hands loudly.

But that’s the thing. Baseball as a sport has historically frowned upon players who show too much emotion, and it’s quite plausible that such acts don’t sit well with the fans. And maybe that is why they see him as a controversial player.

While we are on the topic of controversy, Rushing has now also dropped quite a wild comment on MLB’s partner, Jomboy Media. The two entered into a strategic partnership and investment deal in June last year.

Now, Jomboy Media as a platform has drawn in great traction for breakdowns and lip readings of things that unfold during a game. Given that they center around anything from fights to crossups, Rushing has given them plenty of content so far, most of which has not necessarily been positive, and he is aware of that.

“I’m off social media now, so I don’t really care to see it,” Rushing said on Petros and Money on Tuesday. “I know Jomboy has made some money off of me, so I’ll throw that out there. He gets a kick out of it for sure. In all honesty, he’s the least of my worries.”

There is no denying the kind of player Rushing is. He has posted a .839 OPS in 58 games this season, and that’s impressive. But his on-field antics have become far too dramatic for others to ignore.