Dodgers Call Up Dalton Rushing, LA's Top Prospect Ranked No. 15 in MLB

Los Angeles Dodgers catching prospect Dalton Rushing could get the chance to make his MLB debut.

The Dodgers are calling up Rushing from the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets, the club announced Wednesday.

Rushing, a 2022 second-round pick who is ranked No. 15 among all MLB prospects by MLB Pipeline, has yet to appear in MLB action. He is slashing .308/.424/.938 in 31 Triple-A games this season.

The Dodgers will designate Austin Barnes for assignment in a corresponding move.

Barnes, who was in his 11th season with the Dodgers, was previously the longest-tenured position player on the roster. He was told about the designation on Tuesday after the Dodgers' 11-1 loss to the Athletics, per AM 570 LA Sports' David Vassegh.

Rushing earned his promotion from Double-A to Triple-A in August of last season, during which he slashed .270/.383/.501 with 24 homers and 82 RBI in 110 games. The Dodgers named him their 2024 Minor League Player of the Year in September.

The MLB Pipeline scouting report describes Rushing at the plate as "a well-rounded hitter with a short, quick left-handed stroke and a patient approach."

Behind the plate, MLB Pipeline describes him as "more athletic and quicker than a typical 6-foot-1, 220-pound catcher."

MLB.com's Sonja Chen reported on May 2 that "many in the Dodgers' organization believe that Rushing's bat is Major League-ready," but that his path to MLB has been complicated by the presence of Will Smith behind the plate, Freddie Freeman at first base and Shohei Ohtani in the DH slot.

Rushing started some games at left field last season, but the Dodgers want him to "hone in on his development as a catcher, with starts at first base mixed in to get him more at-bats," according to Chen.

"I've bounced around. I've been at many different positions. It's been a grind," Rushing said during Spring Training, per Chen. "It's because, essentially, no one knows. And the reality is, there might be two or three guys who really know the odds of what position I'll play when that time comes.

"I think the biggest thing is make sure the bat's ready and I'm prepared, from a defensive standpoint, to go do my job."

Dodgers fans will now wait to see whether this call-up leads to Rushing making his first MLB appearance in the near future.