Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing takes ownership of Shohei Ohtani debacle: ‘Need to grow from this’

SACRAMENTO –– Dalton Rushing took a seat at his locker Sunday morning, sat backward in his chair with his arms propped up on the backrest, then struck a tone of contrition as he reflected on perhaps the lowest point of his MLB career.

Four days earlier, Rushing acknowledged, he had failed in his No. 1 priority as a catcher.

“You never want to have a pitcher feel like you don’t have their back,” he said.

Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani hits a triple during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, June 27. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Especially when that pitcher is Shohei Ohtani.

For almost 10 minutes in an interview with The California Post, Rushing replayed all the things he wished had gone differently during a nightmarish three-run second inning while catching Ohtani last Wednesday.

How he lacked synergy with the right-hander on pitch calls. How they got crossed up on a passed ball that plated a run. And, most of all, how he showed outward frustration that seemed directed at his superstar teammate, losing his cool as the inning came unraveled.

Dalton Rushing celebrating, covered in sunflower seeds. MLB Photos via Getty Images

“It’s not at all how we want to be viewed as battery mates,” Rushing said. “Whether it’s Shohei, whether it’s any of our starting pitchers, any of the guys in the bullpen, you never want to be viewed like that.”

Rushing, of course, was not the only one who looked agitated by the series of miscommunication-marred mishaps. While the Dodgers came back to win the game –– in part because Ohtani reverted to calling his own pitches the rest of his outing –– both players had let emotions in the moment overtake them.

“That second inning was just complete chaos,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “It felt like a rollercoaster that was losing pins as you’re doing loops. It just felt chaotic.”

After lengthy debriefs and plenty of self-reflection since, however, it was also a situation Rushing wanted to take ownership of himself on Sunday, stating “it’s our job to make sure he really feels us on his side.”

Rushing high-fives coach Dino Ebel after hitting a home run. Getty Images

“Look, he’s the greatest player to play this game,” Rushing said of Ohtani. “And he has every right to, one, call whatever he would like, and two, just attack the way that he wants to on the mound. Because no one on this earth can tell him that he doesn’t know what he’s doing out there.

“So we’re gonna move forward from it. I’ve talked to him a lot. Never in a million years could you ever have a bad thing to say about a guy like that. Never in a million years could you ever feel like a player like that is in the wrong. So it’s kind of up to me, as a young guy, to wear the situation, wear it on my chest, get over it, move past it, and make sure that we allow a guy like that to do what he wants to do.”

During that game against the Twins, disconnect initially surfaced in a scoreless first inning. Ohtani said he felt “hesitation” with the pitches Rushing was calling behind the plate. Then, when Ohtani gestured at one point for Rushing to challenge a called ball, the second-year catcher decided against it, even though MLB’s Gameday system showed it would have been a strike.

Ohtani said he felt “hesitation” with the pitches Rushing was calling behind the plate. Getty Images

That set the stage for even bigger blow-ups in the second, when neither Ohtani nor Rushing –– who was catching the four-time MVP for only the third time this year, amid Will Smith’s extended absence with a neck injury –– could prevent disaster from unfolding.

There were more pitch-calling issues, with Rushing turning repeatedly to Ohtani’s splitter as the Twins loaded the bases on three singles. Later, as the two struggled to agree on a pitch selection while the pitch timer wound down, there was the stunning cross-up that led to a run-scoring passed ball –– one accompanied by an obviously perturbed look from the catcher back toward the mound.

“You could tell,” manager Dave Roberts said, “both guys were frustrated trying to get on the same page.”

Indeed, Ohtani showed his own annoyance in the inning, emphatically tapping his head for a challenge as Rushing tried to motion to him not to employ it (Ohtani was right again on that occasion, getting a ball overturned to a strike).

By the time it was all over, the mood was dire enough that Rushing was counseled in the dugout by both Roberts and Freeman.

“All I did was, I said, ‘You’re upset. He’s upset. Let’s forget about it,’” Freeman recalled. “‘We gotta figure this out … Nothing is gonna be better if you are just pissed right now.’”

That process continued following the game, when pitching coach Mark Prior said there were conversations between coaches, the players, and Ohtani and Rushing themselves directly.

Right fielder Kyle Tucker high-fives catcher Rushing after hitting a two-run home run. Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

“He cares deeply about his pitchers,” Prior said of the 25-year-old Rushing, who has received praise at other points this season for both his in-game pitch-calling and mound-visit pep talks.

“The other day, it was an unfortunate experience that played out for everybody,” Prior added. “Nobody is gonna shy away from that. But also, you take those moments and you learn from them and hopefully you’re better off moving forward because of it. Sometimes, you have to have some of those tough moments to get to the other side, as well.”

That was the same message Rushing echoed on Sunday, talking of his need to mature in such “heat-of-the-moment” situations and better regulate his fiery in-game disposition.

“We all love Dalton,” Freeman said. “But, it’s an emotional guy when he plays. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just sometimes, we gotta rein it in and not let it spiral. Because if you spiral during the game, you’re striking out every at-bat, then he’s hitting himself in the dugout, then there’s no way you can have a clear mind when you’re trying to catch.”

It’s not the first time Rushing has grappled with that challenge. Already this year, he bemoaned the “negative” attention he has attracted for himself through emotional outbursts that have gone viral on social media.

Rushing flips his bat after hitting a home run. Getty Images

While Rushing noted he has always been a hot-tempered player, he said playing for the Dodgers has only intensified that edge. He has felt added pressure to meet the standard of performance set by the All-Stars, MVPs and future Hall of Famers surrounding him in the clubhouse. Whenever he doesn’t, the failure is only more infuriating.

“Whether you’re 23, 24, 25 years old, it doesn’t matter. You kind of set in your head, ‘OK, this is the standard we have to live by,’” he said. “And something you look past a little bit is, you’re still young in this game, and you’re gonna mess up and screw up. So I think it’s up to us as the younger guys to really understand that and figure it out; what we have to do to move forward [from those situations].”

Rushing has been a uniquely combustible competitor within the Dodgers’ typically even-keeled clubhouse, at least compared to the mostly level-headed personalities that have occupied their roster in recent seasons.

However, Freeman repeatedly reiterated that the rest of this year’s team has embraced Rushing’s passion and energy, quipping how he “just wish people could see the Dalton Rushing that’s not on TV, because he’s awesome.”

“He’s young. He’s been thrown into the biggest of spotlights. But he’s gonna be fine,” Freeman added.

The same belief was shared by Dodgers personnel this week, with Roberts saying Rushing is “likely” to be behind the plate when Ohtani next takes the mound again.

“I really feel that going forward we’ll all be on the same page,” Roberts said. “It’s not always going to be synced up, but I think that where it got to the other day, I really don’t see that happening going forward.”

While Ohtani (who doesn’t often speak to reporters outside his start days) hasn’t been available to the media since last Wednesday, Rushing insisted there were “no hard feelings on either end.” When Rushing hit a home run in San Diego this weekend, Ohtani greeted him near the on-deck circle with a high-five and a smile. The next time they pair up for a start, the Dodgers hope similar vibes will eminate.

“Whether I’m right, whether he’s right, whether we’re both wrong, whether we’re both right, it doesn’t really matter,” Rushing said. “It’s my job, whether I’m 25 years old or 35 years old, to say, ‘Look, I’m wearing this, this is my fault. I need to move forward. I need to grow from this.’ And I need to make sure we bring good out of this.”

“As crazy as it sounds,” he repeated optimistically, “there is a way to bring good out of something like that.”

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