Dave Roberts said Friday that Shohei Ohtani will most likely have Dalton Rushing behind the plate again when Ohtani makes his next pitching start, even after the two were visibly off Wednesday night. The Dodgers are choosing continuity over a quick change, and that matters because the last time they paired up, a crossed-up pitch turned into a run and a much louder conversation in the dugout.
The renewed interest in Shohei Ohtani comes from how public the problem was. On Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins, Ohtani and Rushing got crossed up on a 101.7 mph fastball in the second inning, the ball sailed to the backstop and the first of three Twins runs scored. From the third inning on, Ohtani called his own pitches. Rushing said afterward that the sequence was embarrassing, and he took the blame for the miscommunication.
Roberts did not sound interested in treating the incident as a reason to break the pairing apart. He said he thought Rushing was in the moment and added that he really felt the group would be on the same page going forward. He also said Ohtani is very particular about what he wants to throw, while most pitchers are more gray in that area. In other words, this was less a one-off lapse than a test of whether Ohtani and the rookie catcher can settle into the same language quickly enough to keep working together.
That is the practical issue for the Dodgers right now. Will Smith is still not doing baseball activities while dealing with an inflamed disk in his neck, which leaves the team with few alternatives beyond Chuckie Robinson. Rushing has caught Ohtani's last three starts with Smith on the injured list, but the numbers show the fit has not been clean: Ohtani has allowed nine earned runs in 18 2/3 innings with Rushing behind the plate, compared with five earned runs in 61 innings with Smith catching him. The uneasy part is that Ohtani had already been dealing with a blister on his middle finger and a swollen left knee during those starts, so the Dodgers have been asking for stability in a stretch that has not offered much of it.
Rushing's frustration showed during Wednesday night's second inning, and his comments after the game made clear he felt the moment. Roberts said Friday he expected everyone to stay aligned, and Ohtani also made the case that communication can happen through words and through example, by taking charge and showing what kind of pitching style he is capable of. The Dodgers may keep the same battery in place because they have little choice, but the next start will show whether Ohtani is once again calling his own pitches or whether Rushing can handle the job from the first inning without another public breakdown.
