The Los Angeles Dodgers spent Wednesday in Cincinnati wrapping up the middle of a three-game set with the Reds after taking the first two contests, including a 4-0 win on Tuesday.
While the club kept winning on the field, the bigger news coming out of the series was an update on catcher Dalton Rushing, who has been sidelined since September 5.
According to an MLB.com report on Wednesday, Rushing is working through a hitting progression.
He will not catch again this season, but he could still return as a designated hitter or other non-catching role before the regular season ends.
That possibility leaves the door open for a late-September appearance, though the Dodgers have not put a firm date on his activation.
Before the injury, Rushing had given Los Angeles a productive stretch in his second major-league season. In 78 games he hit .249 with 55 hits, 12 home runs, 36 RBIs and 37 runs scored.
Selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2022 draft, he is still only 25 and will turn 26 in February. Last year he also appeared in one postseason game, giving him a small but real taste of October baseball.
Rushing’s absence has been felt behind the plate, yet the Dodgers have continued to roll.
They sit first in the National League West at 92-59 through 151 games and are chasing a third straight World Series title after winning the last two.
The roster depth that has defined the franchise in recent years has allowed them to absorb the loss of a young catcher without falling out of first place.
Thursday afternoon brings the series finale against Cincinnati before the Dodgers fly home to open a weekend series with the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.
Whether Rushing can contribute as a bat-only option in those final weeks remains an open question, but the latest update at least confirms he is progressing at the plate and has not been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season.
For a club built to win now and later, even a limited return from a 25-year-old who already has 12 homers this year would be a welcome addition as the calendar turns toward October.
The Dodgers have shown they can win without him. Getting him back in some capacity would only add another layer to a lineup that has already carried them to the top of the division.
