A lack of communication between the catcher and the pitcher is never a good thing in a baseball game. And it gets even worse when the pitcher is Shohei Ohtani. But less than a week after the chaotic inning involving the superstar and Dalton Rushing in Minnesota, the young catcher didn’t try to defend himself. Instead, he explained why he believes the responsibility rests with him.

“It’s my job, whether I’m 25 years old or 35 years old, to say, ‘Look, I’m wearing this, this is my fault,’” Rushing said after the event. “I need to move forward. I need to grow from this. And I need to make sure we bring good out of this.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers swept the road series against the Minnesota Twins last week. But during the 3rd game, catcher Dalton Rushing had some frustrating moments on and behind the plate. In the bottom of the 2nd, he disagreed with the review of a called ball from a pitch by Ohtani. The Dodgers starter went with his instinct, and his challenge ultimately overturned the umpire’s decision. But that was just the start of it. 

During the same inning, the Twins got the bases loaded, and Rushing missed a 101-mph pitch from Ohtani, expecting an off-speed. It allowed the runner from third base to reach home, and a single later, Minnesota was leading 3-1. 

This forced Ohtani to take matters into his own hands and leave the pitch-calling to himself instead of waiting for the catcher’s signals. It worked, and the Dodgers never allowed a run since then. Rushing admitted after the game that it was embarrassing. But even after almost a week, he is still not over letting his teammates down. 

“It’s not at all how we want to be viewed as battery mates,” Rushing said. “Whether it’s Shohei, whether it’s any of our starting pitchers, any of the guys in the bullpen, you never want to be viewed like that.”

Shohei Ohtani, although he took control of the communication from the 3rd inning onward, never spoke ill of his catcher. And Dalton Rushing insisted that there were “no hard feelings on either end.” And that’s exactly what the Dodgers clubhouse expects from the two. 

Dodgers continue backing young catcher despite growing pains

Rushing had a limited role before Will Smith was added to the injured list for disc inflammation in his neck. He was forced to take on bigger responsibilities, and the game in Minnesota was the 3rd time this season that he had caught for Ohtani. But instead of criticizing Rushing for his mistake or the way he seemed frustrated for not being able to connect with his bat, the clubhouse stood by him. 

“We all love Dalton. But it’s an emotional guy when he plays. And there’s nothing wrong with that,” first baseman Freddie Freeman shared his take on the catcher. “He’s young. He’s been thrown into the biggest of spotlights. But he’s gonna be fine.”

Even pitching coach Mark Prior termed the event unfortunate and suggested moving forward and learning from the tough moments. Manager Dave Roberts did notice how Shohei Ohtani and Dalton Rushing were frustrated trying to get on the same page. And to ensure that they can do that in the future, the manager hinted at Rushing being behind the plate during Ohtani’s next start. 

“I really feel that going forward we’ll all be on the same page,” Roberts explained. “It’s not always going to be synced up, but I think that where it got to the other day, I really don’t see that happening going forward.”

All the people who showed nothing but support for the 25-year-old catcher had the most positive impact on Dalton Rushing himself. And he reflected optimistically, noting that there’s always a way “to bring good out of something like that.”