The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that catcher Ben Rortvedt was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.
There was no indication from LA that he was designated for assignment or waived, but he is now a member of the Reds.
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Rortvedt was an overlooked piece of a trade deadline deal centered around Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospects Paul Gervase and Adam Serwinowski in exchange for minor league catcher/first baseman Hunter Feduccia.
The Dodgers’ depth at the catcher position was already dwindling, and when All-Star backstop Will Smith suffered a hairline fracture in his hand towards the end of the regular season — and rookie catcher Dalton Rushing hit the injured list just days later — Rortvedt’s role became invaluable.
He played just 18 regular season games for the Dodgers, all of which took place in September, a key stretch to end the campaign ahead of the postseason. He hit just .224 with a .636 OPS, but his defensive talent and framing ability immediately made him indispensable, even when Rushing returned from the injured list.
In the postseason, Rortvedt started both games in the Wild Card round, going 3-for-6 with one RBI and two runs scored. Rortvedt also started Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS, but Smith was healthy enough to take over in the fifth and sixth innings of those games, respectively.
With Smith and Rushing still a major part of the Dodgers’ future plans, perhaps Rortvedt will work to get more of an opportunity in Cincinnati as the 28-year-old starts the next chapter of his MLB life.
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Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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One Response
That is rather unfortunate for the Dodgers. I thought Ben did quite well, Better than Rushing actually!