Dalton Rushing will ‘most likely’ catch Shohei Ohtani again, despite viral frustrations

SAN DIEGO — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Friday that Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching start will “most likely” have Dalton Rushing catching him, even after the two parties were visibly and virally not on the same page during Ohtani’s start Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins.

It’s unclear whether Ohtani will call his own pitches, as he did over the final four scoreless innings of the Dodgers’ win. That night’s focus fell on Rushing, the young Dodgers catcher whose frustrations showed over the course of a disastrous second inning. That led to a dugout scene in which Freddie Freeman, pitching coach Mark Prior, mental skills coach Brent Walker and eventually Roberts all took turns chatting with the former top prospect.

Those conversations continued over the last day and a half, Roberts said Friday.

“I think he was in the moment,” Roberts said. “I really feel that going forward, we’ll all be on the same page. 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. They all care. Everyone cares.”

Rushing said after Wednesday’s game the incident was “embarrassing,” not just because of what happened, but also the fact he needed his teammates and support staff’s help. It became another moment in which Rushing’s actions on the field became more of a talking point than his production during his first full big-league season.

Ohtani, speaking as directly as he has in a Dodgers uniform, said he did not feel any conviction behind the pitches he was throwing in the first two innings of the start with Rushing calling pitches. In the second inning, Ohtani and Rushing got crossed up on a 101.7 mph fastball. The ball sailed to the backstop, allowing the first of three Twins runs in the inning. Rushing took the blame for the miscommunication after the game.

Ohtani also wanted to challenge the umpire’s call on two pitches he thought were strikes in the first couple of innings. On the second occasion, Ohtani indeed initiated a challenge as Rushing demonstrably shook his head. The pitch was overturned for a strike by a fraction of an inch.

From the third inning on, Ohtani called his own pitches.

“There are really a couple of ways of communicating,” Ohtani said Wednesday through interpreter Will Ireton. “One is by words, but the other way to be able to communicate is by example, and just taking the charge and showing Rush what kind of pitching style I’m capable of.”

Rushing has caught Ohtani’s last three starts with franchise catcher Will Smith on the injured list with an inflamed disk in his neck. Those three starts have coincided with Ohtani’s dealing with a blister on his middle finger and a swollen left knee, which clouds some of the numbers, but Ohtani has allowed nine earned runs in 18 2/3 innings with Rushing behind the plate. He allowed only five earned runs in 61 innings with Smith behind the plate.

Smith is still not doing baseball activities, Roberts said. Beyond Rushing, that limits the alternatives to journeyman backstop Chuckie Robinson, who is on his sixth organization.

“I think Shohei’s very particular in what he wants to throw,” Roberts said. “Most guys are not as, they’re more kind of gray. Where I think Shohei is just clearer on what he wants to throw.”

Wednesday’s start marked Rushing’s first game action since leaving Monday’s game against the Twins early to rule out a concussion. Rushing was never diagnosed with a concussion after suffering a blow to the catcher’s mask on a foul tip.

Rushing’s year has taken on some turbulence after a red-hot April. His OPS in 32 games since the start of May is .565.

And, as Wednesday confirmed, everything he does will be watched closely and quickly become the subject of internet fodder.

“I don’t think that he thinks he goes viral in the moment,” Roberts said. “I think that sometimes he just … kind of sees red. But he understands that there’s consequences to actions. We’ve got to be more mindful, and he’s aware of that.”