The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without Will Smith for most of the year, but they had former top prospect Dalton Rushing to handle things.
Rushing was having a good year, but now he is also injured. Rushing has a "slight tear" in his UCL, per Dave Roberts, and is currently on the injured list.
"At this point, however, the treatment and prognosis for Rushing is uncertain," wrote The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett on Wednesday. "He will not throw for four to six weeks, making it unlikely that he catches again this season. But Rushing could continue hitting and the Dodgers could try to bring him back as a pinch-hit option off the bench later in the season or postseason."
Smith may not be back until September, so until then, the Dodgers need to find ways to get production from the catcher spot. They traded for catchers Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia before the trade deadline, and both spent time with the team last year.
Rortvedt actually went 3-for-7 in the postseason and was a great help to the Dodgers defensively at times in the regular season. He and Feduccia will have to step up if the Dodgers want to pass the Milwaukee Brewers for the top seed in the National League.
Rushing had a .809 OPS and 12 home runs in 74 games this year. He was already trying to fill some big shoes with Smith hurt, and now someone else will have to try to get the job done.