The Los Angeles Dodgers faced a late-season dilemma at catcher when both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing were placed on the injured list in September. To keep their momentum, they called up Ben Rortvedt from Triple-A — a catcher they had acquired at the trade deadline in a three-team deal that sent Hunter Feduccia elsewhere while bringing in Rortvedt, Adam Serwinowski, and Paul Gervase.
Rortvedt joined the major-league roster on September 4 and hit .224 for the rest of the month, including his lone home run of the year and three of his four total RBIs. He then made an immediate impact in the postseason, starting the Dodgers’ first four playoff games and putting up a .429 average with an OPS above 1.000. Despite contributing to Los Angeles’ World Series title run, he was placed on waivers afterward and claimed by the Cincinnati Reds.
Reflecting on his short stint, Rortvedt expressed gratitude for the organization and fans, saying he felt supported during a challenging transition and appreciated being able to “be myself” while doing his job.
Though his time with the Dodgers was brief, Rortvedt played an important role in their stretch run and back-to-back World Series appearances. Now with a championship ring, he moves on to the next stage of his career, leaving behind a positive mark on Dodgers history.
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