Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing had a bit of a meltdown during Wednesday’s game after he showed up Shohei Ohtani.
Rushing was catching Ohtani Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., but things went awry in the second inning. The two got crossed up on a pitch which led to a run, and later in the inning, Ohtani challenged a pitch that was called a ball. Rushing visibly reacted to the challenge and shook his head in disapproval, but Ohtani turned out to be right.
Shohei's had enough of these non-challenges from Rushing. pic.twitter.com/K1uFNycp7t
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 25, 2026
After the inning, manager Dave Roberts, first baseman Freddie Freeman, and team mental skills coach Brent Walker could all be seen sitting with Rushing in the dugout. The catcher was definitely being hard on himself and even slapped himself in the head a few times.
Dalton Rushing is not pleased with himself pic.twitter.com/nidYX2jhZm
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 25, 2026
“I didn’t do a great job start to finish. It was pretty embarrassing. Thankfully he’s as good as he is and he can take control of a game,” Rushing told reporters after the game. “They always have my back. It’s embarrassing that I need support like that. I’m a grown man.”
On top of his obvious issues with Ohtani, Rushing went 0-for-4 at the plate with three strikeouts. The 25-year-old has been pressed into regular catching duty since Will Smith went on the IL, but is just 2 for his last 20 at the plate.
This is not the first time Rushing’s grasp of the strike zone has shown itself to be lacking. He has also caused controversy this season through some of the things he has said and done to opposing players. Now that he crossed a line with his own teammates, one has to wonder if he will get the message and tone things down moving forward.
