Ben Rortvedt

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Ben Rortvedt

|image = File:Ben Rortvedt.jpg

|caption = Rortvedt with the Fort Myers Miracle

|team = Tampa Bay Rays

|number = 30

|position = Catcher

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|9|25}}

|birth_place = Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.

|bats = Left

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = April 30

|debutyear = 2021

|debutteam = Minnesota Twins

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = April 22, 2025

|stat1label = Batting average

|stat1value = .193

|stat2label = Home runs

|stat2value = 8

|stat3label = Runs batted in

|stat3value = 45

|teams =

Minnesota Twins ({{mlby|2021}})
New York Yankees ({{mlby|2023}})
Tampa Bay Rays ({{mlby|2024}}–present)

}}

Benjamin Thomas Rortvedt (born September 25, 1997) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees. He made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Twins.

Amateur career

Rortvedt attended Verona Area High School in Verona, Wisconsin.{{cite web |last=Jim Polzin |date=June 10, 2016 |title=MLB draft: Verona's Ben Rortvedt a second-round pick by the Twins |url=https://www.wiscnews.com/sports/high-school/state-and-regional/mlb-draft-verona-s-ben-rortvedt-a-second-round-pick/article_79e79a31-dfb6-531a-ac80-b0aab6cca65f.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=Wiscnews.com}} As a senior, he slashed .444/.568/.667.{{cite web |last=Jon Masson |date=July 1, 2016 |title=Prep baseball: Area Player of the Year Ben Rortvedt of Verona 'on an entirely different level' |url=https://madison.com/sports/high-school/baseball/prep-baseball-area-player-of-the-year-ben-rortvedt-of/article_f4a96588-b90d-517d-a7ef-c31cb3551614.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=madison.com}} He committed to play college baseball at the University of Arkansas.{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Jeff |title=Young catcher Ben Rortvedt looks to make significant jump to C.R. Kernels |url=https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/professional/cedar-rapids-kernels/young-catcher-ben-rortvedt-looks-to-make-significant-jump-to-cr-kernels-20170404 |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=The Gazette}}

Professional career

=Minnesota Twins=

The Minnesota Twins selected Rortvedt in the second round, with the 56th overall selection, of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web |last=Iozzo|first=Anthony|title=Rortvedt drafted in second round of MLB draft, signs with Minnesota Twins |url=http://www.unifiednewsgroup.com/verona_press/sports/rortvedt-drafted-in-second-round-of-mlb-draft-signs-with/article_b92de616-5c16-5c9f-b59b-8acd059ccc76.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=Unified Newspaper Group}} He signed with the Twins for a $900,000 signing bonus, forgoing his commitment to Arkansas.{{cite web |title=Twins, 2nd round Draft pick Ben Rortvedt agree |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/twins-2nd-round-draft-pick-ben-rortvedt-agree/c-184017758 |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=MLB.com}}

Rortvedt made his professional debut that same year with the Gulf Coast League Twins before being promoted to the Elizabethton Twins. In 33 games between the two clubs, he batted .222 with ten RBIs.{{cite web |last=Wyllys |first=Jared |date=May 24, 2017 |title=PG in the Pros: No stranger to hard work, the Twins' Ben Rortvedt is ready to break out |url=https://2080baseball.com/2017/05/pg-in-the-pros-no-stranger-to-hard-work-the-twins-ben-rortvedt-is-ready-to-break-out/ |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=2080 Baseball}} He spent 2017 with the Cedar Rapids Kernels where he compiled a .224 batting average with four home runs and 30 RBIs in 89 games, and 2018 with both Cedar Rapids and the Fort Myers Miracle, slashing a combined .262/.331/.379 with five home runs and 43 RBIs in 90 total games between the two clubs.{{cite web |last=Dennis Punzel |date=September 5, 2018 |title=Former Verona athlete Ben Rortvedt is catching on in the minors |url=https://madison.com/sports/baseball/professional/former-verona-athlete-ben-rortvedt-is-catching-on-in-the/article_ab74ca0c-61f8-51e7-beb4-fc385867d2bf.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=madison.com}}{{cite web |title=Ben Rortvedt Stats, Highlights, Bio – MiLB.com Stats – The Official Site of Minor League Baseball |url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=666163#/career/R/hitting/2018/ALL |access-date=September 19, 2018 |publisher=MiLB.com}} He returned to Fort Myers to begin the 2019 season, and was promoted to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in May, with whom he finished the year.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-press.com/story/sports/2019/04/03/toby-gardenhire-takes-reigns-fsl-champions-fort-myers-miracle-2019/3332299002/|title=Toby Gardenhire takes reins as Fort Myers Miracle look to repeat as FSL champions|website=The News-Press|date=April 3, 2019|accessdate=May 18, 2023}} Over 79 games between the two teams, he hit .238/.334/.379 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs.{{cite web |url=https://kduz.com/2020/11/21/twins-add-three-to-40-man-roster/ |title=Twins add three to 40 man roster | KDUZ |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=November 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129142732/http://kduz.com/2020/11/21/twins-add-three-to-40-man-roster/ |url-status=dead }} Rortvedt did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Twins added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/twins-add-balazovic-ober-and-rortvedt-to-40-man-roster/573147701/|title=Twins add Balazovic, Ober and Rortvedt to their 40-man roster|website=Star Tribune|accessdate=May 18, 2023}}

On April 30, 2021, Rortvedt was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/04/twins-activate-max-kepler-option-ryan-jeffers.html|title = Twins Announce Series of Roster Moves| date=April 30, 2021 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}} He made his MLB debut that day as the starting catcher against the Kansas City Royals. In the game, he recorded his first major league hit, an RBI single off of Royals reliever Wade Davis.{{cite web|url=https://www.startribune.com/ben-rortvedt-jumps-from-twins-taxi-squad-to-mlb-debut/600052323/|title = Ben Rortvedt jumps from Twins' taxi squad to MLB debut|website = Star Tribune}} He had a total of 89 at-bats over 2021 with the Twins, batting .169/.229/.281 with three home runs and seven RBIs.{{cite web|url=https://kstp.com/minnesota-sports/simmons-garver-return-to-twins-rortvedt-maggi-sent-to-st-paul/6244493/|title = Simmons, Garver return to Twins; Rortvedt, Maggi sent to St. Paul|date = September 21, 2021}} When not with the Twins, he played with the St. Paul Saints with whom he slashed .254/.324/.426 with five home runs and 22 RBIs over 34 games.

=New York Yankees=

On March 13, 2022, the Twins traded Rortvedt, Josh Donaldson, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa to the New York Yankees in exchange for Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela.{{cite web|title=Yankees get Donaldson, send Sánchez, Urshela to Twins|url=https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/josh-donaldson-traded-to-yankees-gary-sanchez-to-twins|date=March 13, 2022|access-date=March 13, 2022|work=MLB.com}} An oblique injury that Rortvedt suffered before the trade limited his ability to play during spring training.{{cite web|last=Martin |first=Dan |url=https://nypost.com/2022/03/19/yankees-catcher-ben-rortvedt-suffers-oblique-injury/ |title=Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt suffers oblique injury |publisher=Nypost.com |date=March 19, 2022 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/yankees/news/new-york-yankees-brian-cashman-knew-about-ben-rortvedt-injury-before-minnesota-twins-trade|title=Yankees Knew About Ben Rortvedt's Injury Prior to Twins Trade|first=Gary|last=Phillips|date=March 21, 2022|website=Sports Illustrated NY Yankees News, Analysis and More}} He began the season on the injured list, and the Yankees acquired Jose Trevino.{{cite web|last=Axisa |first=Mike |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-acquire-catcher-jose-trevino-in-three-player-trade-with-rangers/ |title=Yankees acquire catcher Jose Trevino in three-player trade with Rangers |work=CBS Sports |date=April 2, 2022 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}} He was activated from the injured list and optioned to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in late April.{{cite web |url=https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2022/04/26/yankees-hicks-goes-on-paternity-list-andujar-recalled/ |title=Yankees' Hicks goes on paternity list, Andújar recalled - MLB | NBC Sports |publisher=NBC Sports|agency=Associated Press |date=April 26, 2022 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}} On May 18, Rortvedt underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee to repair a partially torn meniscus. The procedure came with a recovery timetable of six-to-eight weeks.{{cite web|title=Ben Rortvedt has surgery with first Yankees chance on hold|url=https://nypost.com/2022/05/18/ben-rortvedt-has-surgery-with-first-yankees-chance-on-hold/|access-date=January 15, 2023|website=nypost.com|date=May 18, 2022 |language=en}} He was placed on the 60-day injured list on May 22.{{cite web|title=Yankees' Ben Rortvedt: Shifts to 60-day IL|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/yankees-ben-rortvedt-shifts-to-60-day-il/amp/|access-date=February 7, 2023|website=cbssports.com|language=en}} The Yankees promoted him to the major leagues on September 9 when Trevino went on the paternity list, but was optioned back without playing in a game on September 12.{{cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/yankees/2022/09/yankees-demote-catcher-to-make-room-for-jose-trevino.html |title=Yankees demote catcher to make room for Jose Trevino |publisher=nj.com |date=September 12, 2022 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}}

During spring training in 2023, Rortvedt had an aneurysm in an artery near his right shoulder, requiring a surgical procedure.{{cite web|last=Sanchez |first=Mark W. |url=https://nypost.com/2023/02/26/yankees-ben-rortvedt-to-miss-time-with-bizarre-injury/ |title=Yankees' Ben Rortvedt to miss time with 'bizarre' injury |publisher=Nypost.com |date=February 26, 2023 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-ben-roertvedt-injury-catcher-twins-20230322-agngly3herco5nnfkrp4wqgs24-story.html |title=Yankees' catcher Ben Rortvedt recovering from aneurysm |publisher=Nydailynews.com |date=March 22, 2023 |accessdate=May 18, 2023}} The Yankees promoted Rortvedt to the major leagues on May 18 when Trevino went on the injured list.{{cite web|author=Darragh McDonald |url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/05/yankees-place-jose-trevino-on-il-with-hamstring-strain-recall-ben-rortvedt.html |title=Yankees Place Jose Trevino On IL With Hamstring Strain, Recall Ben Rortvedt |publisher=MLB Trade Rumors |date= May 18, 2023|accessdate=May 18, 2023}} Rortvedt was again promoted on July 21, after Trevino went on the injured list to receive season-ending wrist surgery.{{Cite web |title=Yankees catcher Jose Trevino is out for season, needs wrist surgery. Ben Rortvedt is up |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/mlb/yankees/2023/07/21/new-york-yankees-catcher-jose-trevino-placed-on-10-day-il-again/70447174007/ |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=North Jersey Media Group |language=en-US}} He batted .118 in 32 games for the Yankees.{{cite web | url=https://www.nj.com/yankees/2024/02/ben-rortvedt-trying-to-hit-his-way-into-yankees-plans-and-so-far-so-good.html | title=Ben Rortvedt trying to hit his way into Yankees' plans … and so far, so good | date=February 27, 2024 }}

=Tampa Bay Rays =

On March 27, 2024, the Yankees traded Rortvedt to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade in which the Miami Marlins traded Jon Berti to the Yankees and the Marlins received John Cruz and Shane Sasaki.{{cite web | last=Hoch | first=Bryan | title=Jon Berti traded to Yankees from Marlins | website=MLB.com | date=2024-03-27 | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/jon-berti-traded-to-yankees-from-marlins | access-date=2025-02-15}} In 112 games for the Rays in 2024, Rortvedt batted .228/.317/.303 with 3 home runs and a career-high 31 RBI.{{Cite web |title=Ben Rortvedt Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/ben-rortvedt-666163 |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}