The Cincinnati Reds claimed Ben Rortvedt off waivers to end his tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers after joining the organization at the trade deadline.
It previously had not been announced that Rortvedt was waived or designated for assignment by the Dodgers. He ended the season as their primary backup catcher and emerged as a surprise contributor.
Rortvedt was acquired by the Dodgers as part of a three-team trade with the Reds and Tampa Bay Rays. His importance increased exponentially as Will Smith and Dalton Rushing both dealt with injuries down the stretch of the regular season.
Rortvedt batted .224/.309/.327 with two doubles, one home run and four RBI while appearing in 18 games for the Dodgers. He additionally played in four more games, all of which were starts, during the postseason.
However, Rortvedt did not appear in the playoffs after Game 2 of the National League Division Series as at that point Smith was deemed fully recovered from a hairline fracture in his right hand and capable of resuming starting duties behind the plate.
The bulk of Rortvedt’s impact was felt within the Dodgers pitching staff, as he earned praise for quickly assimilating and helping stick to game plans.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts referred to Rortvedt as an “unsung hero” late in the year.
“He really has that servant, leadership mentality behind the plate, which is really ingratiating himself with a lot of our pitchers,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman added. “And obviously, the way they’re throwing the ball has a lot to do with them, but at the same time, they feel so much comfort throwing to him as they’re having that kind of success.”
Why did Dodgers DFA Ben Rortvedt?
Rortvedt was out of Minor League options and the Dodgers didn’t figure to carry three catchers on their active roster next season. Furthermore, the team again is facing somewhat of a crunch on their 40-man roster, which seemingly led to the Rortvedt DFA decision.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
