‘Profanity toward Lee Jung-hoo → Discord with Ohtani’: Dodgers’ Rashing on the operating table → Nine months until return, will his standing narrow further?

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Dalton Rashing (25), the LA Dodgers catcher who made headlines for refusing Shohei Ohtani’s (32) challenge request, is set to undergo surgery.

Local media outlets, including the LA Times, reported on the 22nd (Korean time) that Dalton Rashing, the Dodgers catcher, is scheduled for surgery due to a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow.

To treat this, he is expected to undergo ‘HYBRID internal bracing,’ through which a normal return to catching will only be possible after approximately nine months.

Rashing had previously been placed on the injured list (IL) twice due to a right forearm flexor strain, and ultimately committed himself to surgery and rehabilitation following an elbow ligament tear.

Selected by the Dodgers with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 amateur draft, Rashing made his debut last year. This season, amid an injury to starting catcher Will Smith, he appeared in 80 games, posting a .246 batting average, 12 home runs, 36 RBIs, and an OPS of .788, delivering crucial performances.

However, in the core duties of a catcher—defense and leading pitchers—he showed significant shortcomings compared to Smith. In particular, his emotional behavior on the field and in the dugout led him to face widespread criticism online.

Rashing is also well known among domestic fans for using profanity toward Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco). During a game against San Francisco on April 22, after Lee Jung-hoo was tagged out at home plate and complained of pain, Rashing was captured on broadcast footage cursing at Lee Jung-hoo, who was sitting on the ground.

He later explained, “It wasn’t directed at Lee Jung-hoo. I didn’t even know he was injured.” The matter was temporarily settled when Lee Jung-hoo stated, “I met with Kim Hye-seong, and Rashing conveyed that there had been a misunderstanding and that he wanted to apologize.”

However, his actions did not stop there. He frequently made provocative remarks toward opponents and even disparaged Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya by calling him a “fat [expletive].”

Locally, it also became a topic of discussion that Rashing did not accept the ABS challenge request from Ohtani when he was pitching. During a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in June, Ohtani, who started, attempted to request an ABS challenge on a pitch suspected of being a strike, but Rashing shook his head. It was later revealed that the pitch was indeed a strike upon review after the game. Ohtani unusually expressed disappointment.

Rashing had expressed a desire to avoid surgery. In an interview with ‘The Times’ last month, he said, “My main plan is to ensure my body can withstand the burden sufficiently in any position the team needs, whether first baseman or catcher, so that I can play every game going forward,” adding, “I want to be prepared for my body to handle that role throughout all 162 games.”

However, he ultimately ended up on the operating table. During his absence, the Dodgers also came to need another backup catcher to support Smith.

Dodgers Nation, which primarily covers Dodgers news, recently reported that Ben Rortvedt, who has become a free agent (FA), could return via a minor league contract. The Dodgers are left with three catchers: Smith, Hunter Pedrocia, and Eliezer Alfonzo. Given the physical demands of the catcher position and its high exposure to injury, there is a possibility of additional acquisitions.

Dodgers Nation noted, “Currently, Eliezer Alfonzo holds the third catcher spot. He has options remaining on his contract, so he faces less difficulty with promotions or demotions compared to players like Rortvedt whose options have been exhausted,” while adding, “Rortvedt has a good opportunity to get playing time and could be inserted if he pushes out Pedrocia or if an injury occurs.”

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original