The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed Ben Rortvedt off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds and designated Anthony Banda for assignment.
Rortvedt, 28, was designated for assignment on February 3 by the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds claimed him off waivers after the Dodgers designated him for assignment earlier in the offseason, making this a return to the organization for the backup catcher.
Rortvedt joined the Dodgers on July 31 via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays and played in 18 games for Los Angeles, batting .224 with one homer and four RBI while helping the Dodger starters to an MLB-best 2.17 ERA in the month of September.
The Wisconsin native appeared in four playoff games, recording a 1.071 OPS with one double and one RBI.
He made his Major League debut in 2023 with the Minnesota Twins and has been part of the New York Yankees (2023), Rays (2024-25) and Dodgers (2025), hitting a combined .190 with nine homers and 52 RBI in 227 games.
He was drafted in the second round of the 2016 First Year Player Draft out of Verona High School.
Dodgers designate Anthony Banda for assignment
Banda is now on waivers, and the Dodgers can still trade him to another organization, or a team can claim him as well.
If Banda clears waivers, he can elect to become a free agent, or decide to stay in the organization in the Minor Leagues.
Banda went 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA in 71 games last season. The two-time World Series champion spent the last two seasons with the Dodgers, going 8-3 with a 1.4 fWAR and 3.14 ERA.
He has been in the Majors parts of nine seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2017), Tampa Bay Rays (2018-20), New York Mets (2021), Pittsburgh Pirates (2021-22), Toronto Blue Jays (2022), New York Yankees (2022), Washington Nationals (2023) and Dodgers (2024-25), going a combined 15-9 with a 4.44 ERA in 209 games.
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