Dalton Rushing addressed reporters at a Los Angeles Dodgers press conference on June 7, 2026, covering Yoshinobu Yamamoto's eight-inning start, the pair's in-game experimentation, and Rushing's personal goals as a backup catcher.
Rushing praised Yamamoto's efficiency on the mound, stating that going eight innings "leaves our bullpen fresh" for the following game. He noted that Yamamoto possesses eight pitches he can locate at will, adding, "eight innings is never easy and it's obviously great to see him do it once again." Rushing also explained that with a comfortable lead in hand, the battery took the opportunity to experiment: "we tried a few new tricks and we'll carry them over into his next one," indicating those approaches will factor into Yamamoto's next start.
On his working relationship with Yamamoto, Rushing described a collaborative but respectful dynamic. "I kind of let him do his thing," he said, noting that between innings his involvement is largely limited to planning the pitch sequence for the next three batters. Rushing added that he believes elite players continue to develop as the season progresses: "really good pitchers, really good hitters — they get better as the season goes on," and he does not expect Yamamoto to slow down.
Rushing's start on June 7, 2026 came about because manager Dave Roberts selected him after Will Smith was held out with a sore neck. Rushing acknowledged that serving as Smith's backup is his defined role, explaining, "my whole goal was to make sure if there's an opportunity that I can pick a day that Will needs rest" while delivering equal offensive and defensive production. He also noted that he and Smith are coordinating their approach to the automated ball-strike system, saying the two are "starting to get a really good idea of when to challenge and when not to."
Rushing was candid about his early struggles with ABS calls, stating, "I kind of sucked at it in spring." He mentioned that the team has since worked on a new system using Trackman, which he said "has helped a little bit," pointing to increased repetitions as a key factor in his improvement. During the game, Yamamoto was also throwing a high volume of fly balls in the first inning, which required him to stay warm for an extended stretch before settling into his outing.