You’d be forgiven for not recognizing the name Ben Rortvedt a few weeks ago. Now? Maybe not so much.
Rortvedt started the season with the Tampa Bay Rays, going 6-for-65 at the plate before being designated for assignment and eventually traded to the Dodgers in July. He did alright with the Triple-A team in Oklahoma City—.228 with two homers and six RBI—
before the Dodgers selected his contract in early September. Tasked with helping fill the gap left by Will Smith and Dalton Rushing as the two managed
injuries, Rortvedt has proven that he’s up to the challenge.
“The beginning of the season was really tough for me. I think I was trying to be someone I wasn’t,” Rortvedt said before Wednesday’s game. “Just taking that time to reset and really see what kind of player I want to be and take it out on the field. And not try to do too much, and just really try to play my job, do my role and turn the baton over to the next guy.”
In Wednesday night’s win against the Cincinnati Reds, Rortvedt proved indispensable. He reached base on two hits and an error, cashing in two of those plate appearances for two runs. No surprise there: Rortvedt has started 17 of the Dodgers’ last 23 games, with 11 hits and 4 RBI in that span.
He’s also been a major asset behind the plate, including an effortless tag out last night to save a run. Rortvedt helped turn his first two games with the Dodgers into no-hitters until the ninth inning, and he’s maintained a sense of poise and control ever since. Pitchers had a 2.89 ERA leading up to the Wild Card series with Rortvedt calling the shots—not bad for someone who got thrown back into the Majors with a brand-new team a month ago.
“That’s really, really hard,” Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann said. “But his personality and the way he goes about things shows that he cares. It’s evident in his work and his meetings and talking to the guys, and putting defense first when he’s supposed to.”
That work has included catching bullpen sessions, talking to pitchers to learn their habits and preferences, and watching as much film as possible every night, according to Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times.
And as a bonus, Rortvedt is developing a reputation as a good clubhouse presence, too.
“He’s just had a really good energy,” Blake Snell told Harris. “I just attribute it to how much he wants to catch and how much he wants to be back there. His excitement, it’s contagious.”
With the World Series inching ever closer, energy like that is always welcome.
