Dalton Rushing surgery bomb delays possibility of a Dodgers trade but doesn't erase it

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers revealed Dalton Rushing underwent an internal brace procedure on his elbow, sidelining him from catching for approximately nine months. Andrew Friedman said at his postmortem press conference that Rushing could start swinging a bat sooner, but he won't be behind the dish until well into the 2027 season.

Luckily, the Dodgers got their scrambling for catching depth out of the way in-season by reacquiring Hunter Feduccia from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline. Although he hit under .200, the Dodgers still preferred him on both of their postseason rosters over Rushing, who was on the IL with elbow inflammation throughout September.

This kills basically any idea that the Dodgers might finally trade Rushing this offseason, unless they're willing to sell very low. But it's still a possibility for the more distant future.

Feduccia fits into the mold of a traditional backup catcher much more neatly than Rushing, who the Dodgers could still fetch a decent return for in a trade when he's healthy.

Of course, the Dodgers would much rather make their roster that much more formidable by having a backup catcher who would be a starter on any other team, but if Feduccia can use Rushing's absence as an opportunity to prove that his bat won't represent a total black hole in the lineup, the Dodgers could be more inclined to let go of Rushing next offseason.

Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing will be sidelined for nine months

A nine-month recovery timeline would have Rushing back on defense by the end of July — only if all goes according to plan. Even if he's healthy enough to swing a bat before then, opportunities as a pinch-hitter or DH on Shohei Ohtani's off-days will be scarce. The Dodgers could use the rest of the regular season to get Rushing back into a groove behind Will Smith and see if it drives his trade value back up to a point where they're willing to deal him.

The Dodgers would never admit to it outright, but it seems that they've fallen out of love with Rushing. Although concerns about his elbow probably factored into their decision to carry Josue De Paula into the postseason instead, Rushing was very much in that conversation and didn't make the cut.

They could still get a healthy return back for him, too, despite character concerns and injuries. He's too young and controllable, and has too good a pedigree for the Dodgers to give him away for a song.

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