Ben Rortvedt is back with the Los Angeles Dodgers, arriving from the New York Mets just one day after being acquired, and he’s already set to catch Tarik Skubal’s big debut on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field. This isn’t just a simple roster move, either. With both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing on the injured list, the Dodgers made a double-move, also recalling Hunter Feduccia, who they scooped up from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in a separate trade. Talk about a complete catching tandem swap: Eliezer Alfonzo was optioned to Oklahoma City and Chuckie Robinson was designated for assignment to make room.
A Familiar Face Steps Up
Rortvedt isn’t just some new guy, though he did come from off the 40-man roster and a different team this time. He’s been the Dodgers’ emergency guy before. Last season, when Smith and Rushing were sidelined, Rortvedt started a whopping 15 of the final 21 regular season games. He even started the first four postseason games before Smith made his comeback from a hand injury. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts isn’t sugarcoating it, telling reporters Monday in Chicago, “Given what Ben did for us last year, us knowing him, him being with a lot of our guys, being more of a guy that’s been around for a while, I could see him taking the lion’s share for the foreseeable future.” Rortvedt was with Triple-A Syracuse all season, starting 39 games and hitting .235/.391/.414 with six home runs in 167 games. He’s ready to roll.
New Blood and Depth Protection
Joining Rortvedt is Hunter Feduccia, recalled from Triple-A after coming over from the Rays. Feduccia started 51 games for the Rays this season, hitting .234/.306/.340 with seven doubles and two dingers in 160 plate appearances. Roberts openly admitted the need for depth, stating Monday, “It’s protecting the downside with the catching. We’ve always liked [Feduccia], so obviously with the catching, losing Rush and not having Will back, kind of just making sure , coverage is important.” This is serious business: Smith is out for at least three or four more weeks with neck inflammation, and Rushing will miss a minimum of 10 days. The Dodgers had to act fast, and they got two new guys. Alfonzo had started nine games and caught 74 innings, with five hits in 27 at-bats, while Robinson caught 59 innings over six starts, with two singles in 23 at-bats this season.
So, the Dodgers are rolling with a completely new catching tandem for the foreseeable future. With Smith and Rushing on the shelf, Rortvedt and Feduccia are about to get a crash course in big league action. The next few weeks are gonna be wild to watch how these two settle in behind the plate, especially with Skubal making his debut!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by True Blue LA.
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