Dalton Rushing has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a mild right elbow strain. Caleb Bowlin / Getty ImagesAug. 3, 2026 6:46 pm EDT Updated CHICAGO — In a situation they had direly hoped to avoid, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed catcher Dalton Rushing on the 10-day injured list with a mild right elbow strain before Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, leaving the Dodgers without their top two catchers for at least the immediate future.The Dodgers also optioned Emmet Sheehan. Eric Lauer and Alex Call, both trade candidates, will remain with the Dodgers. Lauer, who was originally slated to move into a bulk role in the bullpen, will stay in the rotation.Rushing was a late scratch from Sunday’s 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox due to minor arm irritation. Will Smith has been on the injured list since early June with an inflamed disc in his neck. Though Smith has progressed to baseball activity, the Dodgers are not expecting him back with the major-league club for at least another three to four weeks.
That explains two trades the Dodgers made Monday. In one deal, Los Angeles acquired minor-league catcher Ben Rortvedt from the New York Mets hours before MLB’s trade deadline. The Dodgers had been exploring catching depth to back up Rushing even before his arm injury. That they ultimately landed on Rortvedt was not a shock: they have acquired him three times dating back to last year’s deadline. Los Angeles sent right-hander Chayce McDermott, who was designated for assignment last week, to New York as the return.Los Angeles also acquired Hunter Feduccia from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Jack Suwinski, who had spent the season in Triple A, according to multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a deal that has not yet been announced. The Dodgers traded Feduccia to Tampa Bay as part of a three-team trade last deadline, acquiring Rortvedt in the process.
