Overview
- Rushing, who spoke to The Athletic on Thursday, said he is not going to change his game even as he insists he does not want to be seen as a bad guy.
- The reputation follows a rapid run of April flashpoints that included accusing the Rockies of “fishy” swings (April 18), appearing to say an expletive after Jung Hoo Lee’s injury (April 21), a hard slide after being hit by Logan Webb (April 23), a slur toward Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya (April 26), and a pitch-clock timeout mix-up (April 28).
- Teammates have publicly backed him, with Freddie Freeman saying Rushing’s intensity reflects how much he cares while urging him to watch what he says on camera.
- The Dodgers are carving out at-bats for him behind starter Will Smith and at designated hitter, and he is batting about .328 with seven home runs and an OPS near 1.12.
- Opponents and commentators have pushed back—Webb plunked him and Giants players condemned his slide—yet no MLB discipline has been reported, and some compare his edgy style to A.J. Pierzynski.