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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Summoned to big-league roster
Rotowire
The Dodgers selected Rortvedt's contract from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
With Dalton Rushing (elbow) joining Will Smith (neck) on the injured list Monday, the Dodgers moved quickly to add catching depth to the organization. The Dodgers made trades prior to Monday's deadline to bring in Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia, both of whom will be activated for Tuesday's game against the Cubs. Though he's spent the entire 2026 campaign to date in the minors, Rortvedt saw big-league action each of the previous four seasons, including at the tail end of 2025 with the Dodgers. Per Sonja Chen of MLB.com, manager Dave Roberts said that Rortvedt is expected to see the "lion's share" of the starts over Feduccia for the time being, with the Dodgers seemingly placing value on Rortvedt's defensive and game-calling skills. Rortvedt has been an easy out at the big-league level, batting just .190 with nine home runs in 227 career games.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Heading back to L.A.
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The Dodgers acquired Rortvedt from the Mets on Monday in exchange for right-hander Chayce McDermott, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports.
After finishing the 2025 season with the Dodgers and earning his first World Series ring, Rortvedt was claimed off waivers by the Mets in February and was outrighted off the 40-man roster shortly before Opening Day. Rortvedt has spent the 2026 campaign to date exclusively at Triple-A Syracuse, where he's produced a .233/.317/.411 slash line with six home runs and two stolen bases in 48 games. With the move back to Los Angeles, Rortvedt may not have to wait long for a call-up to the big leagues, especially if Dalton Rushing (arm) needs to join Will Smith (neck) on the injured list. The only healthy catcher on the Dodgers' active roster at the moment is Eliezer Alfonzo.
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Mets' Ben Rortvedt: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Mets outrighted Rortvedt to Triple-A Syracuse on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Rortvedt passed through waivers unclaimed after being removed from the Mets' 40-man roster. He had been outrighted previously, which gives Rortvedt the right to decline the assignment and elect free agency. It's unclear whether he plans to do that or report to Syracuse.
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Mets' Ben Rortvedt: DFA'd by Mets
Rotowire
The Mets designated Rortvedt for assignment Wednesday.
Rortvedt was never going to make the Mets' roster as long as Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens were healthy, and the team's top two catchers are ready to go for Thursday's opener. The 28-year-old Rortvedt has been claimed off waivers three times already this offseason and could make it four.
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Mets' Ben Rortvedt: Scooped up by New York
Rotowire
The Mets claimed Rortvedt off waivers Sunday.
Rortvedt has been continually on the move during the offseason, and he's now been claimed via waivers for a third time since the beginning of November. The 28-year-old likely won't have much roster security with the Mets since Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens are locked in as the big club's top catchers.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Booted off 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Dodgers designated Rortvedt for assignment Wednesday.
Rortvedt will be removed from the Dodgers' 40-man roster for the second time this offseason after previously being designated for assignment in November. The team will hope to keep him around as catching depth at Triple-A if he clears waivers this time around.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Claimed by Dodgers
Rotowire
The Dodgers claimed Rortvedt off waivers from the Reds on Friday.
Rortvedt went from the Dodgers to the Reds via waivers in November and is now headed back in the other direction. The glove-first catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four major-league seasons. Rortvedt does not have minor-league options remaining, and with Will Smith and Dalton Rushing already on the roster, the Dodgers might try to slip Rortvedt through waivers again.
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Reds' Ben Rortvedt: DFA'd by Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Reds designated Rortvedt for assignment Tuesday.
Booting Rortvedt off the 40-man roster clears a spot for Eugenio Suarez, who was officially signed Tuesday. Rortvedt was a waiver claim by the Reds earlier this offseason and is now likely to be on the move again. The defensive-minded catcher is a career .190/.279/.270 hitter over parts of four big-league seasons.
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Reds' Ben Rortvedt: Claimed off waivers by Reds
Rotowire
The Reds claimed Rortvedt off waivers from the Dodgers on Wednesday.
Rortvedt split 2025 between the Rays and Dodgers, collecting a .152/.240/.205 batting line over 44 regular-season contests. Per Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com, Rortvedt had avoided arbitration with the Dodgers with a one-year, $1.25 million contract prior to being placed on waivers, and that salary will now be the Reds' responsibility. He does not have minor-league options remaining and the Reds already have Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino pegged as their catching duo in 2026, so it's unclear how Rortvedt fits into the picture for Cincinnati.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Riding bench Saturday
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Rortvedt isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Seattle.
Rortvedt will head to the bench Saturday after going 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts in Friday's series opener. Dalton Rushing will start behind the plate instead and bat ninth.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Out of lineup Thursday
Rotowire
Rortvedt is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Diamondbacks.
With Will Smith (hand) out and Dalton Rushing (shin) returning just last week, Rortvedt has served as the Dodgers' primary catcher this month. However, he'll get a breather in Thursday's finale while Rushing dons the catcher's gear.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Goes yard Tuesday
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Rortvedt went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.
The homer was Rortvedt's first of the season, giving the Dodgers a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning. He has seen steady playing time in September while filling in for Will Smith (hand). Over 15 games this month, Rortvedt has gone 11-for-40 (.275) with three extra-base hits and four RBI. He's up to a .275/.341/.400 slash line with 10 RBI, nine runs scored and three doubles across 117 plate appearances this season.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Ceding start to Rushing
Rotowire
Rortvedt is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Rortvedt will give way to Dalton Rushing behind the plate after starting in four of the Dodgers' previous five contests. Though Rushing brings more offensive upside to the table, the Dodgers could prefer to go with the superior defensive option in Rortvedt behind the dish until Will Smith (hand) is cleared for game action.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Takes over as primary catcher
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Rortvedt will start at catcher and bat ninth in Sunday's game against the Giants.
Rortvedt will pick up his fourth consecutive start and looks poised to serve as the Dodgers' primary backstop until Los Angeles gets one of Will Smith (hand) or Dalton Rushing (shin) back from the injured list. Since being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sept. 4, Rortvedt has gone 7-for-22 (.318 average) with two doubles, one walk, five runs and two RBI in eight games.
The Dodgers selected Rortvedt's contract from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday.
Will Smith is undergoing a CT scan on his right hand and is expected to be out for at least a few days, so Rortvedt will be up to provide catching depth behind Dalton Rushing. Rortvedt was acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline.
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Dodgers' Ben Rortvedt: Dealt to Dodgers
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The Dodgers acquired Rortvedt on Wednesday in a three-team trade with the Rays and Reds, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The Dodgers will send Hunter Feduccia to Tampa Bay to receive Rortvedt and Paul Gervase, and Los Angeles will also bring in Adam Serwinowski from Cincinnati, which is receiving Zack Littell. Rortvedt has tallied just six hits in 63 big-league at-bats this season, and with a .598 OPS in Triple-A, he hasn't been particularly effective in the minors either. The 27-year-old will act as organizational depth at catcher and isn't likely to spend a lot of time in Los Angeles.
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Rays' Ben Rortvedt: Goes unclaimed off waivers
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Rortvedt accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Durham on Sunday after clearing waivers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Rortvedt cleared waivers after Tampa Bay designated him for assignment Wednesday, and because he's logged more than three years of MLB service time, he had the ability to reject a minor-league assignment. After weighing his options, however, Rortvedt determined he was best suited remaining in the Tampa Bay organization. He's no longer on the Rays' 40-man roster but could get a call-up if Tampa Bay loses fellow catchers Danny Jansen or Matt Thaiss to an injury at any point.
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Rays' Ben Rortvedt: DFA'd by Tampa Bay
Rotowire
The Rays designated Rortvedt for assignment Wednesday.
Tampa Bay's acquisition of Matt Thaiss on Tuesday set the stage for Rortvedt to lose his place on the 26-man active roster and 40-man roster, though he still started Tuesday versus Minnesota and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The 27-year-old backstop will now be exposed to waivers. Rortvedt is regarded as a good defender, but he posted a modest .620 OPS in 2024 and has been far less productive over 70 plate appearances this season, slashing .095/.186/.111.
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Rays' Ben Rortvedt: Likely to lose roster spot
Rotowire
The Rays are expected to designate Rortvedt for assignment Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Rortvedt is slashing just .100/.194/.117 through 67 plate appearances on the season and currently sits as the third catcher on Tampa Bay's roster following the acquisition of Matt Thaiss from Chicago on Tuesday. Rortvedt's place on the depth chart makes him the obvious choice to lose his spot once Thaiss is activated, and the former's poor performance could cause him to pass through waivers unclaimed.
