Dalton Rushing appears to be doing some damage control after a viral video sparked criticism this week.
The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Rushing drew ire during Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants thanks to a moment at the end of the sixth inning at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif. Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was thrown out at home plate to end the frame and was slow to get up after seemingly injuring himself on the run.
In the video, Rushing was seen looking over in Lee’s direction and turning back towards the Dodgers dugout before dropping an expletive. “F–k him,” Rushing appeared to say about Lee, who was still on the ground in apparent pain.
Dalton Rushing after seeing Jung Hoo Lee possibly injured in a play at the plate (I’m pretty sure):
— Allen Stiles (@The_StilesFiles) April 22, 2026
“F$&k em”
Giants Dodgers rivalry is alive and well. pic.twitter.com/h4aAjFTZyk
On Wednesday, Rushing attempted to clarify the viral moment. Rushing claimed that the clip was taken out of context and that he was not actually using an expletive towards Lee.
“Hopefully he didn’t take it the way it was put out,” said Rushing of Lee, per Jack Harris of The California Post. “I’ll be sure to say something to him face-to-face tomorrow, making sure he’s OK. There was nothing really directed at him. He’s a great guy.
“I used a word, but it was not what [people thought] was said,” Rushing added. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
The Dodgers were losing 3-1 at the time of the incident and went on to lose to the Giants by that same final score. Meanwhile, Lee would exit the game in the eighth inning with what San Francisco called a quad injury but was back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Dodgers.
Rushing, 25, is in his second MLB season and is having an excellent year thus far, batting .414 with seven home runs and 13 RBIs through just nine games. But Rushing is not doing himself any favors from a PR standpoint right now as he also sparked backlash a few days ago by claiming after a Dodgers loss that the opponents had cheated.
