Several of Dalton Rushing’s Los Angeles Dodger teammates have stepped up to defend him after he has come under fire online.
Rushing has become unpopular with opponents and their fans for some game-related incidents, all of which occurred within about a week of each other.
To start, Rushing called the Colorado Rockies “fishy” after they took a game off the Dodgers, appeared to say “f— ’em” towards San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as he laid injured at home plate and appeared to call Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya a “fat f—” after the opposing backstop ran on him.
Other incidents occurred as well, including a hard slide and an exaggerated timeout towards an umpire.
News outlets on social media ran with the narrative that Rushing was a villain, but he sees it differently.
“I think guys have started to like, give me the label of (villain),” Rushing said. “I just think that’s me competing at the highest level and not allowing any outside source to kind of get in my way.”
What Have Dalton Rushing’s Teammates Said to Defend Him?
The veterans in the clubhouse have stepped forward in support of rushing, attributing the moments caught on camera to his competitive nature.
“Seventy, eighty percent of the players out there are saying things, but they’re not getting caught on camera often,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said. “We don’t want to really make a big deal out of him, because that’s not the guy that we’re seeing every single day inside the locker room.
“If that would be the case, I think we would have a problem. But I don’t think what’s going on and him going viral out there – it’s looking like every series he’s doing something – is the kind of guy that he is with us inside.”
First baseman Freddie Freeman also showed some support for Rushing.
“Dalton can sometimes black out on a baseball field, but he believes in himself,” Freddie Freeman said. “He cares so much about wanting to be good, so you can’t fault someone for that. That would just be taking away something from who Dalton Rushing is. So for me, I’m not gonna ever tell him not to do that. I mean, maybe watch what you’re saying on cameras, you know, and stuff like that.
“You just try and throw up some bumpers in the bowling lane.”
Has Dalton Rushing Backed Up His Talk on the Field?
Rushing has been much more vocal this season compared to last, but has also been far more productive on the field.
He has hit seven home runs, three more than last season, in just 19 games, and also has 17 RBIs. He still has an OPS above 1.000, and is batting .328 in 58 at-bats. His bat has definitely cooled down a little bit since his blazing start to the season, but he has still managed to maintain a regular spot in the Dodgers’ lineup as a valuable bat and will surely continue to slot in throughout the remainder of the season.
Do you think Dalton Rushing is a villain? Or is MLB’s online community overreacting?