MLB.com insider Sonja Chen predicts a 2025 major league debut for Dalton Rushing, the Los Angeles Dodgers ‘ prized catching prospect. However, the 23-year-backstop’s specific role within the team remains shrouded in some uncertainty.
Dalton Rushing Debut and Positional Fit On 2025 Dodgers
“We’ve heard about Rushing’s ability to hit for a couple of years, and now it might be time to see it at the big-league level.” Chen writes. “It’s a matter of when, not if, Rushing — the team’s No. 1 prospect — makes his debut this season, giving the Dodgers another advanced bat. Now, the question will be whether Rushing is capable of playing the outfield after picking up the position late last season. Rushing, an original catcher, is obviously blocked by Will Smith behind the plate, but the Dodgers are looking to find ways to get his bat in the lineup.”
With four catchers currently on their 40-man roster, including World Series champions Will Smith and Austin Barnes, LA has explored alternative positions for Rushing. To gain further versatility, the organization experimented with deploying Rushing in the outfield during his Triple-A assignment.
“In all my years of playing baseball, I played just one inning in the outfield before this year,” Rushing said before his first game with Oklahoma City. “This has been a quick turnaround and a little bit of an adjustment, but that is just kind of the lifestyle.”…