LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers have selected the contract of catcher Dalton Rushing, solidifying his spot on the Major League roster, while designating veteran catcher Austin Barnes for assignment.
Rushing, 24, has impressed in Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .308 with five home runs and 17 RBIs this season. The top prospect in the Dodgers’ system, he has spent four seasons with the organization, compiling 54 homers, 185 RBIs, and a .931 OPS. In 2024, he was honored as the Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year, launching 26 homers and driving in 85 runs between Double-A and Triple-A. A former standout at the University of Louisville, Rushing was drafted in the second round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft.
Barnes, 35, has hit .214 with three doubles and two RBIs this season. A two-time World Series Champion, he has been a fixture in the Dodgers’ clubhouse for 11 seasons, appearing in 612 games and tallying 35 home runs and 162 RBIs while maintaining a .992 fielding percentage across 3,813 innings. Originally acquired in a 2014 trade with the Miami Marlins, Barnes arrived in Los Angeles alongside Andrew Heaney, Chris Hatcher, and Kiké Hernández in exchange for Dee Strange-Gordon, Dan Haren, and Miguel Rojas.
