Dave Roberts sends message to Dalton Rushing as Dodgers future remains unclear

Dalton Rushing has finally started living up to the expectations that saddle former top prospects. His debut season was rocky as he adjusted to life as Will Smith's backup catcher, but his first three games this year have reminded Dodgers fans of his potential.

The sample size could hardly be smaller, but he's 6-for-9 with three homers, four RBI, and just one strikeout, good for a 2.367 OPS.

Dodgers writers speculated that Rushing hadn't adapted well upon his move into a backup role after being used to getting regular starts throughout his minor league career. However, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic wrote of his approach in his sophomore season, "Rather than try too hard to maximize his limited opportunities, he's taken on a more measured approach."

Dave Roberts was asked what he saw in Smith back in 2019, when he was playing backup to Austin Barnes, that Rushing still needed to develop.

"You can just see the calmness (in Will)," he said. "I think that, for me, a catcher has so much more responsibility than anyone on the field that they’ve got to navigate their emotions and separate the hitting from the game calling … (Will) never panicked. I think for me, that just gave me the confidence to trust him to be an everyday guy, along with the offensive performance."

Dave Roberts names Will Smith's "calmness" as a skill Dalton Rushing still needs to learn

To be fair to Rushing, Smith was never blocked to the same extent. Austin Barnes was the Dodgers' longtime go-to and Clayton Kershaw's personal backstop, but he had already declined offensively by the time Smith made his debut. It only took Smith two years to assume the primary role. Barnes had signed an extension ahead of the 2021 season, but it was one befitting of a backup: two years, $4.3 million.

It makes sense that Rushing would feel pressed to make a real impression on the Dodgers. He wants to make an impression any way he can so that, even if there's no way to get him a full-time role at catcher, the Dodgers may be inclined to find playing time for him elsewhere.

Rushing reiterated that he's "not worried about being a backup my whole career. I'm really not. But at the same time, I think I'm going to take advantage of this time and learn as much as I possibly can from it."

Maybe that means taking up some meditation or doing some yoga.