Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing undergoes surgery for partially torn right UCL

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

A source confirmed that Los Angeles Dodgers backup catcher Dalton Rushing underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. The procedure is expected to be a hybrid internal brace, a detail that shapes the team’s working rehab timeline as Rushing moves into his return-to-play process.

According to the same source, Rushing’s timeline to return to catching is nine months. The expectation is that he would return to hitting well before that point, creating a separation between when he can resume batting work and when he can safely handle the demands of catching at the major league level.

Rushing’s surgical update comes after a second big league season in which he made visible strides for the Dodgers. In his second MLB year, he hit .246 with a .788 OPS and 12 home runs. His role began as insurance behind Will Smith before expanding into more regular catching duties when Smith was sidelined for months due to neck inflammation.

That expanded workload was interrupted when Rushing’s elbow flared up in early August. The flare-up resulted in the Dodgers placing him on the injured list (IL). After rosters expanded on Sept. 1, Rushing was activated, and his role shifted to hitting only while he worked through a throwing progression on the side.

Even with that initial activation, the elbow issue returned quickly. After appearing in four games, Rushing was placed back on the IL after reaggravating his elbow while throwing, which left him unable to catch for the remainder of the season. The surgery announcement therefore closes out a late-season cycle in which the Dodgers attempted to return him to activity but could not safely restore catching responsibilities.

Because the elbow problem did not worsen his ability to bat, the Dodgers did not shut him down until the season concluded. In the postseason, he was described as a distant option to serve as the Dodgers’ left-handed bat off the bench. However, Los Angeles carried top prospect Josue De Paula on its NLDS and NLCS rosters instead, limiting Rushing’s postseason usage.

The rehab outlook, as outlined by the source, projects a potential return window for catching around mid-to-late July if the recovery proceeds as planned. If that timing holds, Rushing’s path back would set up a major-league catching pecking order discussion for the start of next season, particularly given the Dodgers’ recent organizational moves and how they handled his absence.

The source’s timeline also points to Hunter Feduccia as the player most likely to begin next season as Will Smith’s backup. The Dodgers reacquired Feduccia at the Trade Deadline in the wake of Rushing’s injury, and with Rushing not expected to be cleared for catching until around mid-to-late July, Feduccia’s role would align with the team’s practical need during the early part of the year.

Before Rushing is cleared to catch, the Dodgers will also need to decide how to allocate his roster spot. The source indicates the team will weigh whether it is worthwhile to carry him as a hitter only on the big league roster, where he is blocked by Shohei Ohtani at designated hitter, or whether he would be better served getting regular at-bats at Triple-A Oklahoma City during the period before catching returns.

Taken together, Wednesday’s surgery and the nine-month catching timeline create a clear framework for how the Dodgers can manage Rushing’s development and readiness. With his return to hitting expected to arrive earlier than his catching return, the club’s near-term challenge will be choosing the right environment to keep his bat sharp while ensuring his elbow is ready for the throwing and receiving demands that follow major internal ligament repair.

For Rushing, the procedure marks a turning point after a season that mixed productive power and increasing catching responsibility with an early-August elbow flare and a brief late-season attempt to rework throwing. The next phase will center on rehabilitation, followed by the team’s decision-making on where he fits best—major league hitter-only availability versus regular minor-league at-bats—until he can resume catching around the projected mid-to-late July window.

The Dodgers have not provided additional details in the supplied information beyond what the source relayed about the surgery type and recovery expectations. As that rehab progresses, the organization’s decisions on the backup catching role—especially with Feduccia positioned as the likely option—will depend on Rushing’s readiness as he moves from post-surgical recovery to the throwing progression required for catching at the major league level.