Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing found himself at the center of attention for all the wrong reasons during Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The incident occurred in the top of the fifth inning when Rushing was ruled for interference on a slide into second base.
With Rushing on first base and teammate Alex Freeland at the plate, Freeland hit a ground ball to the right side that appeared to set up a potential double play. In an effort to break up the play, Rushing slid outside the base path into Pirates infielder Jared Triolo.
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Although Freeland initially beat the throw to first, a review ruled that Rushing’s slide violated the bona fide slide rule, leading umpires to call for interference and rule both runners out.
Fans took to social media to voice their frustration immediately after the incident.
“Insufferable ballplayer.”
“He makes it easier and easier to hate him Jesus Christ he sucks.”
“Sorry but that’s a dirty play man. Be better.”
“Rushing is never beating the douche bag allegations.”
“Couldn’t have made it more obvious 😭. He slid like 3 feet to the right of the bag.”
“What a f***ing prick.”
The controversial play against the Pirates was not the first time Dalton Rushing had come under scrutiny for an aggressive slide. During a June game against the San Francisco Giants, he was involved in another controversial slide when he slid hard into shortstop Willy Adames while trying to break up a double play.
Dodgers turn to Dalton Rushing amid Will Smith injury concern
After being scratched from Saturday’s lineup against the Los Angeles Angels, Will Smith also missed Sunday’s finale due to a stiff neck. As a corresponding move, the Dodgers moved Dalton Rushing to step up into the starting catcher role just a few hours before the first pitch.
Manager Dave Roberts noted that Smith’s injury is not considered long-term and could have been due to “a bad night’s sleep or a bad pillow. Not sure.” Roberts said that Rushing has been more comfortable in his role, and his relationship with Smith has helped him further in the transition.
“Dalton’s in the pitchers’ meetings. He and Will have a really good relationship, which I love. The pitchers, we’ve done a good job in sharing the load. So now, it’s more seamless when he has to catch Yama. I think the game has slowed down much more for Dalton,” Dave Roberts said.
Despite Dalton Rushing’s error in Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Dodgers won with an overwhelming 12-3 record. So far in the 2026 season, the rookie catcher has recorded eight home runs and 21 RBIs while batting .286 with a .916 OPS.
Edited by Safeer M S