LOS ANGELES \u2014 Dalton Rushing said his season is not over yet. The Los Angeles Dodgers backstop told The Athletic he does not believe he will need surgery to address a slight tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have to go lay on a table and get my arm cut open,\u201d Rushing said after the Dodgers\u2019 6-5 win over Kansas City on Monday night. \u201cThat\u2019s a good thing. That\u2019s where we\u2019re at right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rushing felt discomfort while warming up before a game against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 2 and was a late scratch from the lineup before being placed on the injured list a day later. In rehashing the injury for the first time publicly, Rushing said the tear was not a massive surprise \u2014 or an area of real immediate concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a structural standpoint, we had a history a little bit of it,\u201d Rushing said. \u201c(The Dodgers) were aware of it. Everyone was aware of it. I think that\u2019s what popped up as of recently on scans and kind of threw up a red flag for some people.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut as far as the feel of it, we\u2019re worried about the muscle side of it that surrounds it. That\u2019s what we\u2019re going to rehab.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doctors, Rushing said, are \u201cnot worried about anything structurally right now\u201d in his elbow, which fuels his hope to avoid a season-ending surgery. The Dodgers are still hopeful their former top prospect could provide a boost in their quest for a third consecutive World Series title.<\/p>\n
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Manager Dave Roberts said last week there is a \u201cvery small\u201d chance that Rushing catches again this season, though much of the Dodgers\u2019 evaluation will depend on the results of scans after Rushing goes four to six weeks without throwing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope I\u2019m wrong,\u201d Roberts said at the time after downplaying the odds.<\/p>\n
The Dodgers already have contingencies. They spent the day after Rushing complained of symptoms trading for a pair of catchers they knew previously in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia to help address the position. It\u2019s not the setup anyone envisioned<\/a>, but it\u2019s the catching situation the Dodgers are stuck with until Will Smith returns from injury.<\/p>\n Rushing had served as the Dodgers\u2019 primary catcher ever since Smith hit the injured list in June with an inflamed disc in his neck. Smith is expected to take batting practice on the field this week for the first time since his injury, Roberts said on Monday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be a big week for Will,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n If all goes well, Smith is expected to be behind the plate in October. The Dodgers still see Rushing filling a potential role, even if he cannot catch.<\/p>\n