Of course Dalton Rushing hit a grand slam in place of Shohei Ohtani as Dodgers DH

When news broke that Shohei Ohtani would only be pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their series finale against the New York Mets on Jackie Robinson Day, it allowed fans in New York to breathe a sigh of relief.

Sure, Dalton Rushing had himself a tear during the Dodgers’ East Coast road trip, scoring four runs on three homers over two games in place of usual starting catcher Will Smith, but there’s no way he was a more lethal designated hitter than the four-time MVP, who won the award as a hitter-only in 2024, right?

Well, that theory held up okay until the eighth inning when, after getting a hit in the second, Rushing blasted an absolute dinger deep into the stands with the bases loaded, adding four more runs and another homer to his already stacked April resume.

DALTON RUSHING GRAND SLAM

Distance: 412 ft
Exit Velocity: 105.3 MPH
Launch Angle: 33°
HR/Park: 23/30

Off the Mets' closer Devin Williams too. In 2026, he's hitting .529/.566/1.353 (1.909 OPS) with 4 HRs, 8 RBIs, & 7 runs in 5 GAMES!

GET THIS MAN SOME PLAYING TIME!#MLB… pic.twitter.com/zZYZTggATs

— Ride The Pine (@RideThePineMLB) April 16, 2026

Initially drafted in the second round of the Louisville, finding major league playing time for Rushing has been challenging for the Dodgers, what with Smith having signed a ten-year, $140 million contract with the team back in 2024. Rushing gave left field a try for a time in the minors and is a potential reserve at first base, too, but considering how infrequently Freddie Freeman misses games, that’s only worth a few starts over a 162-game season.

And yet, if Rushing continues to hit for power and efficiency for the Dodgers in reserve duty, Dave Roberts has to find a way to get him on the field more often, be that at catcher, first, or even as the DH when Ohtani pitches, which is good for once about every six games, even when Blake Snell returns in May.

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