Former Yankee from Josh Donaldson trade gets chance to play key role with Dodgers

Back in 2022 when the New York Yankees surprisingly made a "blockbuster" trade to acquire Josh Donaldson from the Minnesota Twins, they also brought in an intriguing slugger who some thought could eventually provide pop behind the plate.

That was Ben "Biceps" Rortvedt, whose existence in pinstripes ended up being mostly hypothetical. He was constantly derailed by injuries and only appeared in 32 MLB games across two full years. He hit .118 with a .461 OPS. He logged just 81 games in the minor leagues, too.

The Yankees traded Rortvedt to the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2024 season in a move that felt like it didn't matter at all, but he hit .270 with a .733 OPS in the first half and New York fans were down bad. Even Ben Rortvedt is going to depart the Yankees and show us up elsewhere? Come on.

Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, he faltered in the second half of that year and then completely flatlined in the first half of 2025. The Rays eventually traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline in a bizarre three-team deal that equally confused everybody.

And what do you know ... Rortvedt just joined the Dodgers active roster because of an injury to starting catcher Will Smith, who is likely out of action this weekend as he awaits CT scan results.

Former Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt gets chance to play key role with Dodgers

The Dodgers are in a tight NL West race with the San Diego Padres and every single game matters between now and the end of the regular season. Rortvedt has a chance to make an immediate impact, even though he won't be receiving starting reps (that will be Dalton Rushing).

Rushing hasn't exactly been impressive this year, hitting .190 with a .549 OPS across 43 games, but the Dodgers love his upside, given his impact at Triple-A has been undeniable. That said, Rortvedt has more big league experience and served as Gerrit Cole's personal catcher for a portion of his 2023 Cy Young campaign. That could hold weight with a Dodgers pitching staff that boasts a load of previous Cy Young winners (and current candidates).

Smith isn't expected to miss extended time, but if the Dodgers get worst-case scenario results from the CT scan, Rortvedt will all of a sudden become a key contributor on a World Series contender. We can see it now: Rortvedt homering in the 2025 Fall Classic against the Yankees after they made an error with two outs to extend the inning. Chef's kiss.