Dalton Rushing made somewhat of a splash for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. The rookie catcher came on board and did his best, but struggled at times to hit consistently.

Sure, Rushing showed that he has some pop in his bat. That's necessary for the Dodgers, who always need another strong bat in the starting lineup. Rushing finished last season with a .204 batting average and a .582 OPS.

Yet one problem with Rushing is that he's the backup catcher to incumbent starter Will Smith. Of course, Smith has the No. 1 job locked down until he either leaves, gets traded, or retires in Dodger Blue. It's not time to put dirt on Smith's career with the Dodgers, either.

Since that's the case, what does Los Angeles do with Rushing?

There's been some chatter that the team might look at playing him in the outfield. That's not a bad idea as the Los Angeles outfield needs some help.

In his rookie season in 2025, Rushing played 41 times at catcher, eight times at first base and none in the outfield for the Dodgers. One thing to consider: Rushing played 31 games in left field for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2024 and two more in 2025.

The Dodgers don't want their young player just sitting on the bench and watching time pass away. They want Rushing to be a part of their daily lineup. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts probably is going to spend some time, at some point, in the offseason looking at his roster.

When Roberts does, it's highly possible that he finds a spot for Rushing.

Let's see how Rushing is used on a consistent basis and how that affects his batting average in 2026.