""So in this instance, I had seen a clip from the night before when Dalton Rushing strikes out to end the game, and he's coming back into the dugout. Somehow his foot ends up, at least it seemed, concerningly close to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's face. As Yamamoto is walking the one way through the dugout to go down the tunnel, and Rushing is coming back down the stairs. The dropkick celebration may or may not have been inspired by that moment. The couple players I asked about it were all very coy. They all had suspiciously similar responses about how they are just trying to kick away the negativity. But I will say is, as I talked to guys in the clubhouse about this the other night, it was laughter in every conversation where this came up.""
""Instead of waving their arms in the air as a nod to Freddie Freeman's dancing, they have now been kicking their leg up high into the air.""
""The Dodgers have been using their previous celebration for quite some time. It first began in 2023 after a viral clip of Freddie Freeman dancing during the Usher concert at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala.""
""Over time, it was slightly modified, with some players adding their own less-enthusiastic touches, but the core remained the same.""
Dodgers players have started using a new celebration when reaching base, replacing earlier arm-waving with a high leg kick. The inspiration has not been officially confirmed, but it appears connected to a prior dugout moment involving Dalton Rushing and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A clip showed Rushing striking out to end a game and returning to the dugout as his foot appeared close to Yamamoto’s face while both moved through the area. Players questioned about the change gave coy answers, repeatedly saying they are trying to kick away negativity. Laughter followed conversations about the celebration. The team previously used a Freeman-inspired dance that began in 2023 and later evolved with minor variations.
Read at Dodger Blue
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