The Los Angeles Dodgers made two trades at this year’s trade deadline just to keep their catching group afloat. They acquired Hunter Feduccia from the Tampa Bay Rays and Ben Rortvedt from the New York Mets.
Feduccia has handled the bulk of the catching duties for Los Angeles with Rortvedt operating as the backup. With Will Smith nearing a return from the 60-day injured list, Feduccia will still have a spot on the club given that Dalton Rushing is dealing with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow.
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Feduccia got his 13th start behind the plate for the Dodgers on Tuesday for their second game of three at Coors Field. He was having himself a solid day up until the bottom of the seventh inning. Across all three of his plate appearances he reached base, setting the table for Shohei Ohtani and doing exactly what the Dodgers needed from the bottom of their order.
However, in the bottom of the seventh he was removed mid-inning. On the broadcast, Feduccia could be seen throwing up into his equipment before jogging to the dugout after a strikeout. Rortvedt entered the game in his place.
It is unclear whether Feduccia is simply sick or whether the issue stems from the altitude in Denver, which can affect players who are not accustomed to it, particularly those exerting themselves behind the plate on a warm afternoon. Manager Dave Roberts will speak more on Feduccia’s condition after the game.
Given that he has started back-to-back games behind the plate, Rortvedt would likely have drawn the start for the series finale on Wednesday regardless, making the situation slightly less concerning from a roster management standpoint.
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