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Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing has made his share of headlines this season, and not just for his stellar play.
In between admirably filling in for superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith, Rushing has also been accused of disparaging his opponents.
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Apr 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Dalton Rushing is showered with sunflower seeds after hitting a grand slam home run in the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In at least a couple of cases, he was caught on camera appearing to swear at them.
Swearing isn’t uncommon in sports, but Rushing has drawn the sports world’s attention. For why that is, take a look at his last two weeks in April.
Why is Dalton Rushing controversial?
Let’s run down some key moments from the 2026 season.
- April 18: After a loss to the Colorado Rockies, he implied they may be cheating. “I think it’s odd that some of those hitters that do what they do, they go up there and they’re on the first pitch that was thrown,” Rushing said. “It’s a little fishy, but I’ll wear it.” Manager Dave Roberts instead blames “bad pitches.”
- April 21: Against the San Francisco Giants, Rushing tags out Jung Hoo Lee in a tough play at the plate to end the inning. Lee stayed down for a moment after the collision, and Rushing, walking back to the dugout, appears to turn to see Lee, then says “F— ’em” to his teammates.
- April 23: Giants pitcher Logan Webb hits Rushing with a fastball. Rushing then slides hard into Willy Adames at second base. Webb and Rushing downplay the incident.
- April 26: Rushing fails to throw out a stealing Miguel Amaya against the Chicago Cubs. Once Amaya is called safe, Rushing appears to call Amaya a “fat f—,” something Cubs player Nico Hoerner confirms a few days later.
- April 28: Despite clearly signaling to the umpire that he wanted a timeout, Rushing is called for a pitch-clock violation, resulting in a strikeout. Roberts backs his player, noting that “he called timeout and he said it twice and I just think the umpire didn’t hear it clearly.”
- April 29: Rushing exaggerates calling a timeout to the umpire, an apparent reference to his strikeout the day before.
Rushing working to build ‘positive platform’
After the incidents, Roberts told Jack Harris of the California Post that he’s pushed his young star to be a bit more mindful on the field.
“He’s bringing stuff onto himself he doesn’t need to bring on,” Roberts said. “There’s a responsibility to not be reckless because everything is captured.”
Rushing appears to be taking Doc’s message to heart.
“Obviously, you know what social media can turn you into, [how it can] build an image for yourself both positively and negatively,” Rushing told Harris. “So I think from here on out, it’s just my job to build a positive platform for myself.”
Don’t think that means he’s going to play any less hard, though, Rushing added.
“I’m gonna continue to compete, I’m gonna continue to play with an edge,” he said. “But obviously we can hone back a little bit on things that can get you in trouble in this media world.”
Dodgers Nation’s Noel Sanchez noted that Rushing is “a very young player on a historic franchise that is going for a three-peat.
“Everyone on the Dodgers is under a microscope and he’s learning that any little thing he does can be caught on camera and judged online by millions,” Sanchez said.
That said, Rushing seems to be growing up a bit as the season goes on.
“He admitted he wants to build more of a positive platform for himself and that is maturity, being able to admit when you can improve,” Sanchez said.
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