Dalton Rushing To Undergo Elbow Surgery

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing will undergo an internal brace procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The procedure carries an estimated nine-month recovery timeline before he can return to catching duties, which projects his return behind the plate to around July. Rushing originally suffered the elbow ligament tear around the trade deadline and made only a brief return before missing the postseason.

While Rushing is expected to be cleared to hit prior to catching, his path to playing time as a designated hitter or position player is limited. Prior to the injury, Rushing batted .246/.328/.460 with 12 home runs across 253 plate appearances in 2026. Hunter Feduccia and Eliezer Alfonzo remain the primary 40-man roster backups behind starting catcher Will Smith.