The Dodgers are making a major midseason shuffle in their roster.
The team is calling up top prospect Dalton Rushing and designating longtime backup catcher Austin Barnes for assignment, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
It’s no surprise that Rushing, a 2022 second-round pick out of Louisville, is getting a crack at the majors. Over four minor-league season, he slugged his way through the farm system by batting .277 with 54 home runs, 185 RBIs and a .931 OPS.
Even this spring, manager Dave Roberts said Rushing’s bat was big-league ready.
But the team’s decision to effectively part ways with Barnes represents a surprise decision.
Read more: Dodgers prospect Dalton Rushing sowing seeds of trust as he awaits his MLB debut
Barnes, 35, was the longest-tenured position player on the roster. He was a two-time World Series champion — behind the plate for their drought-snapping 2020 title — and was in the midst of his 11th season with the team, after they picked up his $3.5-million club option this offseason.
Barnes, who had been reduced to full-time back-up duty since Will Smith’s emergence five years ago, was batting .214 this season.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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