Hunter Feduccia’s second chance with Dodgers might actually lead to him stick this time

The Los Angeles Dodgers were in panic mode at the trade deadline when they acquired both Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia. Will Smith was already on the IL, and Dalton Rushing joined him on deadline day with a slight UCL tear in his right elbow. Grabbing Rortvedt and Feduccia was about short-term survival, nothing else.

The savvy part of going out and grabbing both of these veteran backstops is that they are both guys with pre-existing ties to the organization, but they were also not viewed as much more than short-term fixes. On top of that, neither one was expected to produce much at the plate.

While Rortvedt was a sensation for Los Angeles in a similar situation around this time last year, he failed to have the same sort of outsized impact this go-around. Smith's return led to Rortvedt being DFA'd, and this time it's Feduccia who is proving to be much more valuable than expected.

The 29-year-old has been an unsung hero for the Dodgers over the past month. While not much was expected from him at the plate, he's hit .256/.347/.372 over 21 games since returning to LA. That's good for a 104 wRC+, which, for a catcher with decent defensive skills, is an incredible value proposition.

With Smith and Rushing coming back as the calendar flipped to September, it brings about the question of what the future truly holds for Feduccia.

Hunter Feduccia could have a place on the Dodgers' postseason roster and beyond

For now, it's likely that Feduccia still gets a healthy dose of playing time. The Dodgers are likely to slow-play Smith's comeback, meaning he'll still get plenty of rest days, which, in turn, means more playing time for the former Tampa Bay Ray.

Rushing's return could make things interesting. It's expected that Rushing won't really be able to play defense down the home stretch. That could also continue into the playoffs, meaning Rushing will be limited to being a lefty bench bat when October rolls around.

Feduccia, then, is a necessity. He could be Smith's primary backup in the playoffs, and if he keeps hitting the way he has, he'll prove that he has real value. He's already gotten more of an opportunity than he did his first stint with Los Angeles, when he logged just seven games in total between 2024 and 2025.

From there, we could come to an interesting long-term crossroads. Rushing's ultimate future in LA is always going to be up in the air as long as Smith is here, and ultimately he might have more value as a trade chip than as a roster weapon.

There's also something to be said for his value being at it's highest point. After a miserable 2025, Rushing has rebounded very nicely with a .252/.333/.472 line this season. The breakout is a bit misleading, though. The former top prospect posted a ridiculous 1.271 OPS over the season's first month and had an excellent July when he produced an .884 mark.

However inbetween those bookends was a two-month stretch from May 1 until June 30 where he slashed .202/.293/.303, which works out to a .595 OPS, which is essentially equal to last year's .582 mark.

Trading Rushing in the offseason might give the Dodgers the opportunity to cash in while his value is at an all-time high (for his time as a big leaguer). That only works, though, if Feduccia can continue to prove that he can keep hitting If so, things will get very interesting. If not, he stays on the roster for the playoffs and finds a new home in the winter.

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