Is it time to bring in the cavalry?

Aside from their extremely disappointing run of form against last-place teams this past week, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves with a real issue at the catcher position.

More news: Dodgers’ Dalton Rushing Carried Off Field After Suffering Leg Injury

All-Star Will Smith — arguably the team’s most consistent player all year long — is currently sidelined with a bone bruise in his right hand courtesy of a foul-tip during the Pittsburgh Pirates series earlier this week. While testing cleared Smith of a broken bone, the injury will be something he’ll have to manage for the remainder of the season.

To make matters worse, replacement Dalton Rushing left the game Friday versus the Baltimore Orioles after fouling a pitch off his leg. The pain was so evident that Rushing could not put any weight on his leg as he was carried off the field by the trainer and manager Dave Roberts.

Ben Rortvedt now assumes the role as the only catcher on the active roster barring the status of Rushing. Rortvedt was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline. With Smith and potentially Rushing sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Dodgers are in desperate need of a reinforcement depth-wise at the position.

This leads us to a possible answer: Austin Barnes.

The Dodgers are bringing up ANOTHER catcher as Dalton Rushing could go on the injured list?????

With Rushing and Will Smith out, the Dodgers’ current catching options are Ben Rortvedt (and probably Chuckie Robinson)…https://t.co/dkhJNqDc1n

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 6, 2025

Barnes began the season with the Dodgers before being released on May 20. He then spent some time ironically enough with the San Francisco Giants Triple-A team. After a short stint, he was let go at the beginning of August.

No one is expecting a 35-year-old catcher to suddenly become an elite hitter. However, from a stability standpoint, he could prove to be the best option for this team at this current time.

Barnes spent 11 years with this organization — winning two World Series during this period. He’s always been widely considered to be the toughest pound-for-pound player on the roster throughout much of his tenure in Dodger Blue. Along with that, Barnes is extremely well-liked and immensely respected.

There’s clearly something off with this current iteration of the team. Adding a guy who theoretically would bring some ‘good vibes’ and strong leadership isn’t the worst thing in the world for team chemistry. Barnes won’t be the difference between the Dodgers winning and losing a World Series. Even if he’s not hitting the baseball at a high clip, the intangibles brought to the clubhouse could outweigh the lack of production. He also knows the pitching staff as well as anyone.

At the very least, the Dodgers need something to change in a hurry — or else the postseason stay a month from now figures to be a short one.

More news: Recently-Released Dodgers Infielder Signs With AL Powerhouse

Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

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