Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing is set to get another opportunity to work with starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani on Friday night against the Padres. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed the decision Thursday, following a challenging outing last week in Minnesota where miscommunication between the two players led to a three-run inning.
Roberts expressed confidence that the battery would improve its connection. "They don't think the same, so it takes time [to build chemistry]," Roberts said of Ohtani and Rushing, who have been paired for Ohtani's last three starts due to Will Smith's neck injury. "But again, I think Dalton understands that is what he signed up for. The job of a catcher is to be a servant to the pitcher. That's the bottom line. So it's Dalton's job to get on page with whatever pitcher. So I expect that all to be resolved."
Rushing took responsibility for the previous miscue, stating in an interview with The California Post that he never wants a pitcher to feel unsupported. "We're gonna move forward from it," Rushing said. "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."
While Ohtani has also been managing knee and blister issues, his pitching performance has differed with Rushing behind the plate. In 10 starts with Will Smith catching this season, Ohtani recorded a 0.74 ERA with 67 strikeouts over 61 innings. In three starts with Rushing, Ohtani has a 4.34 ERA and 19 strikeouts across 18 2/3 innings.
The primary issue identified was a lack of cohesion in calling pitches, an area Rushing indicated he has focused on improving this week. Friday's start against the Padres will serve as a test of that progress.