By ERIC BLUM

Published: 16:49 EDT, 14 May 2025 | Updated: 16:52 EDT, 14 May 2025

The Los Angeles Dodgers made the huge decision to designate veteran catcher Austin Barnes for assignment and are calling up highly rated prospect Dalton Rushing in his place. 

Barnes had been with the Dodgers since 2015 and was part of the team’s pair of World Series victories in 2020 and 2024. 

The 35-year-old will likely leave the organization by being sent down to the minor leagues, as he will look for another MLB opportunity for his experience. 

Rushing, 24, is joining an MLB roster for the first time after spending the first part of 2025 with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers. 

Rushing is rated as the top prospect in the Dodgers’ organization and No 15 in all of baseball per MLB.com. 

The next two highest-rated Dodgers prospects, Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope, are both playing for Los Angeles’ High-A affiliate, the Great Lakes Loons, giving plenty of importance to Rushing injected some youth into the Dodgers.  

The Dodgers made the decision to designate veteran catcher Austin Barnes for assignment

The Dodgers made the decision to designate veteran catcher Austin Barnes for assignment

Los Angeles is calling up highly rated prospect Dalton Rushing in his place to the big leagues

Los Angeles is calling up highly rated prospect Dalton Rushing in his place to the big leagues

While the Dodgers are the defending World Series champions, Roberts is hoping Rushing will have a similar effect to a call-up of a highly touted prospect from the 2023 MLB champs. 

The Texas Rangers promoted Evan Carter to the big leagues for the first time with less than a month to go in the regular season as the team was slipping in the standings. 

The Rangers barely made the postseason, one game ahead of the streaking Seattle Mariners and did not have home-field advantage in the playoffs until the World Series, thanks to the American League winning the All-Star game two years ago. 

Carter was integral as the Rangers won the World Series for the first time in their history as a key cog in the lineup. 

The Dodgers lead the NL West by a half game over the Padres in a stout division, save the seven-win Colorado Rockies. 

The decision to move on from Barnes comes the day after an 11-1 loss to the Athletics. The Dodgers thanked Barnes for his time with the organization on social media. 

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Los Angeles Dodgers ditch two-time World Series winner to make space for highly-rated prospect