The Los Angeles Dodgers had a crisis among their catchers towards the end of the regular season, with both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing landing on the injured list in September.
The Dodgers had to bring up a catcher from Triple-A to keep their season on track, and trade deadline acquisition Ben Rortvedt answered the call. Rortvedt came to Los Angeles in a three-team trade at the deadline, in which the Dodgers gave up Hunter Feduccia in exchange for Rortvedt, Adam Serwinowski and Paul Gervase.
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The catcher came up to MLB from Triple-A Sept. 4, and batted .224 throughout the remainder of the month in the Dodgers’ lineup. He hit his only home run of the season with the Dodgers during that month, also recording three of his four RBIs on the season.
He played in the first four games of the Dodgers’ postseason run, posting a .429 batting average and an OPS north of 1.000 throughout the playoffs. After the Dodgers won the World Series, though, Rortvedt hit waivers and the Cincinnati Reds picked him up.
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After his departure, Rortvedt spoke to Dodgers Nation about his time with the organization.
“It was tough when I came in but I really appreciate the support,” he said. “It’s been really cool to come in and try to do my job but feel support from the fans and be able to be myself.”
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Rortvedt’s time with the Dodgers didn’t last long, however he left his mark on the franchise and was a huge contributor to their end of season finish and a part of their second consecutive World Series run. He will move onto the next chapter of his career with a World Series championship under his belt, and will always be a part of Dodgers history.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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2 Responses
He did more than exceed expectations. Great job while here. He gets a ring !
Agree Joe, he showed a lot of courage stepping into the spot he was in during the run in September. He’s a good defensive catcher and is still young enough to pick up his bat. I couldn’t understand why they traded Hunter Feduccia but now I see why. Wish Ben Rortvedt great success in the future. Enjoy the ring!