Credit: Imagn

Dodgers Call Up No. 1 Prospect, Move On From Longtime Catcher

Dalton Rushing is headed to the big leagues

Credit: Imagn

In a move that marks both the end of an era and the start of something new, the Los Angeles Dodgers have designated veteran catcher Austin Barnes for assignment and promoted their No. 1 prospect, Dalton Rushing, to the big leagues.

The Dodgers are calling up prized catching prospect Dalton Rushing, sources tell The Athletic.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 14, 2025

The call came unexpectedly in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Rushing, who had been tearing up Triple-A pitching, was stunned when his Oklahoma City manager Scott Hennessey called at 1 a.m. with the news. “I got straight to packing,” the 23-year-old said later at Dodger Stadium. “It was a quick turnaround.”

Rushing, a left-handed hitting catcher drafted out of Louisville in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, has put together a dominant start to the season in Triple-A. Through 31 games, he slashed .308/.424/.514 with 11 extra-base hits, forcing the Dodgers to make a tough call: part ways with Barnes, a trusted clubhouse presence who’s been with the team for 11 years.

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Barnes, 35, had long been valued for his defensive reliability and game-calling ability, but his offensive numbers have taken a steep decline. He had just 9 hits in 42 at-bats this season, with 14 strikeouts and only one walk. Defensively, his pop time had dipped to the bottom of the league.

While Barnes’ stats might not jump off the page, his contributions to the franchise were often intangible. From guiding young pitchers to delivering clutch postseason hits, including a pivotal single in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series, Barnes has been part of many iconic Dodgers moments. He also caught the final out in that championship-clinching game. With his DFA, the Dodgers now have seven days to trade or release him.

As for Rushing, there’s no clear path to everyday playing time, at least not right now. Will Smith, one of MLB’s premier catchers, is locked in as the starter and signed through 2033. Shohei Ohtani occupies the DH role full-time. First base belongs to Freddie Freeman. Left field is a possibility for the future, but Rushing has only played two games there this year, and Roberts doesn’t expect him to feature in the outfield this season.

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For now, Rushing will back up Smith and serve as a left-handed pinch-hitting option.

Austin Barnes

Dalton Rushing

Dodgers

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.