The Dodgers announced that catcher Daulton Rushing has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 5.  Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Rushing’s official injury designation is “right elbow discomfort,” which naturally stems from the partial UCL tear that sidelined the backstop for almost all of August.  Los Angeles only just activated Rushing from that previous IL stint on September 1, and he appeared as a pinch-hitter in four games before being a late scratch as the original starting designated hitter in Saturday’s lineup.

Following Saturday’s game, manager Dave Roberts told Bill Plunkett of the Southern California Newspaper Group and other reporters that Rushing’s elbow “flared up” during a pre-game throwing session.  There wasn’t much expectation that Rushing would be able to return to catching at some point this year, and this IL placement probably closes that door entirely.  Assuming Rushing is able to return to action, he’ll be limited to pinch-hit duties against right-handed pitching, as Shohei Ohtani (once healthy) will reclaim the DH spot.

Such a limited usage makes Rushing a question mark for the Dodgers’ postseason rosters, assuming again that he’ll be ready to hit by October.  It could be that this IL stint is simply a way of allowing Rushing to fully recover from this current bout of soreness, so he’ll be ready for the playoffs and just focused on his readiness as a hitter, not as a catcher.

The former top prospect has enjoyed a bit of a breakout this year, hitting .249/.332/.466 with 12 home runs over 250 plate appearances.  Rushing received more playing time than expected due to Will Smith’s extended time on the IL, and Rushing made enough of the opportunity to establish himself as part of the Dodgers’ plans.  The left-handed hitter has batted .259/.342/.506 in 184 PA against right-handed pitchers, as compared to a more modest .220/.303/.356 slash line in 66 PA against southpaws.