LOS ANGELES — Dalton Rushing tried to avoid surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right elbow. He could not.

Rushing was scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow on Wednesday. He is expected to be ready to play again in nine months.

Rushing went on the injured list with a partial tear of the UCL in early August, revealing at the time that he had first been diagnosed with the tear in 2022. He received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection and returned to the active roster in September with hopes of being a pinch-hit option off the bench during the postseason. But he had continued a throwing program and aggravated the injury, going back on the IL. He returned to play two games at the end of September but was not on the postseason roster for the Division Series or Championship Series.

Rushing was expected to undergo an internal brace procedure to repair the torn ligament, a modification of the more familiar Tommy John surgery which includes the addition of a high-strength synthetic tape to reinforce the ligament. Recovery time for position players who have the procedure is approximately nine months, which would put Rushing back in action in mid-July. It is possible he could return sooner as a hitter but not play catcher right away.

Rushing got off to a hot start as Will Smith’s backup in 2026 and hit .253 with an .854 OPS and seven home runs in limited playing time over the first two months of the season. Smith suffered a neck injury in early June that sidelined him for three months, giving Rushing his first extended playing time in the big leagues.

Rushing’s offense dipped with the regular playing time. From the time of Smith’s injury through the end of the season, Rushing hit .231 with a .733 OPS and five home runs in 47 games.

With injuries thinning their catching depth, the Dodgers acquired both Hunter Feduccia and Ben Rortvedt at the trade deadline. Feduccia figures to return as Smith’s backup in 2027. Rortvedt became a free agent at the end of the season.