Dalton Rushing trying to cement his place in Dodgers star-studded team

PHOENIX –– Last year, Dalton Rushing felt like he was playing on “thin ice.”As a rookie back-up catcher with the juggernaut Dodgers, he spent most of his debut season almost walking on eggshells.Maybe on another team, or in a less star-studded clubhouse, his big-league introduction would’ve felt different.In many organizations, his arrival as a top-ranked, power-hitting catching prospect would have been a very big deal.But with the Dodgers, the former first-round draft pick got a reality check. While he would’ve liked to stand out, he instead needed to learn how to blend in.“I was told to view it as an internship,” Rushing said of his rookie season, in which he batted just .204 over 155 plate appearances while spending most of his time riding the bench and building a rapport with pitchers behind the scenes.“I don’t like viewing it like that, I don’t like viewing this game as an internship,” he added.

“But at the same time, I see the perspective they were coming from, and the idea of what they wanted to do last year.They wanted to make sure I understand these guys as much as possible moving forward.”Now, the 25-year-old is ready for the next step.“I by no means anticipate being a role player like this for my whole career, and I don’t think they do either,” he told the California Post on Monday.

“But I think last year was a really good learning year for me … I learned a lot about myself and understand the game a little better now.”Where Rushing fits into the Dodgers’ long-term plans, of course, remains up in the air.His primary position is blocked, with All-Star backstop Will Smith under contract for the next eight years.Other pathways to playing time also appear complicated, with everything from first base to DH to even the outfield –– a position Rushing said he volunteered to play again this season, before the team signed Kyle Tucker –– occupied by established MLB stars.His name has been in trade rumors before.

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