Dalton Rushing found himself at the center of controversy again on Tuesday night, and this time it came from a Dodgers play that immediately drew attention from players, fans, and officials alike.
The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher was involved in a disputed slide during his team’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. The incident unfolded in the fifth inning with Rushing standing on first base and nobody out. Dodgers infielder Alex Freeland stepped to the plate and hit a ground ball to the right side that appeared to have double-play potential.
As Pirates shortstop Jared Triolo moved to complete the play, Rushing broke toward second base and launched into a slide that carried him well off the bag. Rather than sliding directly into the base, Rushing drifted toward Triolo in an apparent attempt to disrupt the throw and prevent the double play from being completed.
A Risky Attempt To Break Up The Play
Initially, the strategy appeared to work. Freeland managed to beat the relay throw to first base and was ruled safe. For a brief moment, the Dodgers seemed to have escaped what could have been an inning-killing double play.
That changed once the umpires reviewed the sequence.
After taking a closer look, officials determined that Rushing’s slide violated Major League Baseball’s interference standards. The ruling was based on the league’s “bona fide slide” rule. As a result, Rushing was called for interference, and Freeland was also ruled out, turning the play into a double play despite Freeland reaching first ahead of the throw.
The Rule That Changed Baseball
The “bona fide slide” rule was introduced before the 2016 season in an effort to eliminate dangerous takeout slides around second base. Under the rule, runners are expected to make a legitimate attempt to reach the bag rather than veer away from it to initiate contact with a fielder.
The rule itself has a notable connection to the Dodgers organization. MLB implemented the change following several controversial takeout slides around the league, most famously Chase Utley’s hard slide into New York Mets infielder Ruben Tejada during the 2015 postseason. The collision resulted in a broken leg for Tejada and sparked widespread debate about player safety around second base.
In response, the league established stricter standards governing how runners are allowed to slide when attempting to break up double plays, giving umpires more authority to penalize runners whose actions place fielders at unnecessary risk.
Rushing’s Dodgers Reputation Continues To Grow
For Rushing, the latest incident only adds to a growing list of controversial moments during his season. Earlier in the year, he was involved in another aggressive slide during a game against the San Francisco Giants that also generated criticism from observers.
Those plays, combined with several other heated moments on the field, have helped create a reputation that is drawing increasing attention around the league. While some view his style as aggressive and competitive, others see it as crossing the line established by modern MLB rules.
Whether viewed as hard-nosed baseball or unnecessary recklessness, Rushing’s style of play is becoming difficult to ignore. Tuesday’s interference call served as another reminder that MLB’s current rules leave little room for runners who stray too far from the base path in an effort to disrupt defenders. In this case, what looked like a successful hustle play quickly turned into a costly mistake for the Dodgers.
