Dodgers trade deadline: Depth adds, no major subtractions, unexpected roster moves

CHICAGO –– After the shockwave of Saturday’s trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, Monday’s trade deadline came and went for the Dodgers with only a series of more subtle aftershocks.The team added two familiar faces at catcher –– Ben Rortvedt from the Mets and Hunter Feduccia from the Rays –– while putting Dalton Rushing on the injured list with an elbow strain.They bolstered their pitching staff with the acquisition of 2025 All-Star selection, but also currently injured left-hander, Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals, making him a late-season swingman option once he returns from elbow and shoulder problems.They shook up their current pitching staff with an internal move, optioning Emmet Sheehan to triple-A after his latest clunker on Sunday.And, most notably, they made no subtractions from their MLB roster, instead electing to hold onto Eric Lauer (who will retain his place in the starting rotation with Sheehan going down) and Alex Call (who remains with the club as a right-handed bat off the bench) despite exploring trades for each of them in recent days.Rushing’s injury had the biggest implications on Monday’s deadline day activities.After being scratched from Sunday’s lineup with elbow discomfort, the backup-turned-starter –– who has been filling in for Will Smith during his elongated absence with a neck injury –– did not join the Dodgers on their road trip to Chicago.Instead, he stayed back in Los Angeles for further evaluation on an injury that popped up during pregame catch the day before.Roberts described the severity of Rushing’s injury as “mild,” and confident that the second-year slugger would return this season.However, with both Smith and Rushing now out injured, the Dodgers scrambled to shore up their depth at the position. Their solution: The reacquisition of two of their former players, getting Rortvedt from the Mets in exchange for recently DFA’d pitcher Chayce McDermott, and Feduccia fro...