Dodgers Teammates Defend Dalton Rushing Amid ‘Villain’ Calls

Several of Dalton Rushing’s Los Angeles Dodger teammates have stepped up to defend him after he has come under fire online. Rushing has become unpopular with opponents and their fans for some game-related incidents, all of which occurred within about a week of each other. To start, Rushing called the Colorado Rockies “fishy” after they took a game off the Dodgers, appeared to say “f— ’em” towards San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee as he laid injured at home plate and appeared to call Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya a “fat f—” after the opposing backstop ran on him.

Other incidents occurred as well, including a hard slide and an exaggerated timeout towards an umpire. News outlets on social media ran with the narrative that Rushing was a villain, but he sees it differently. “I think guys have started to like, give me the label of (villain),” Rushing said .

“I just think that’s me competing at the highest level and not allowing any outside source to kind of get in my way. ” Apr 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing (68) celebrates the win with Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas (72) against the Toronto Blue Jays at the end of the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images What Have Dalton Rushing’s Teammates Said to Defend Him?

The veterans in the clubhouse have stepped forward in support of rushing, attributing the moments caught on camera to his competitive nature. “Seventy, eighty percent of the players out there are saying things, but they’re not getting caught on camera often,” shortstop Miguel Rojas said . “We don’t want to really make a big deal out of him, because that’s not the guy that we’re seeing every single day inside the locker room.