"I do want to get him at bats when I can. Ideally, we'd love for him to get 500 at-bats this year, to continue to evolve and catch innings."
"I want him to understand his role as a backup catcher. Really learn the pitchers, learn a swing that works for playing a couple times a week. He's used to playing a lot more. But I think that just kind of still maturing, because it's not easy to not play every day when you're used to that."
"It comes with experience, knowing that you don't know when you're going to come into a game, but you're watching, and you're expecting to go into the game. As you start to watch and learn, you expect those spots. And you shouldn't be surprised."
Dalton Rushing, once the Dodgers' top prospect, struggled in his rookie season with a .204 batting average across 53 games and 155 plate appearances. This season, he will serve as the backup catcher behind Will Smith, with occasional opportunities at first base. Manager Dave Roberts aims to help Rushing adapt to his backup role by simplifying his swing and deepening his understanding of the pitching staff. While Roberts ideally wants Rushing to accumulate 500 at-bats, the limited playing time available makes this unrealistic. Roberts emphasizes that Rushing must learn to handle the mental challenge of playing only a couple times weekly after being accustomed to regular playing time.
Read at Dodger Blue
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