The Dodgers’ catching situation has been held together by trade-deadline patchwork, and Tuesday in Denver gave that reality another twist.
Hunter Feduccia, who has handled most of the work behind the plate with Ben Rortvedt backing him up, was in the middle of a productive afternoon at Coors Field before leaving in the bottom of the seventh inning. Feduccia had reached base in all three of his plate appearances, giving the Dodgers exactly the kind of bottom-of-the-order spark they needed and helping set the table for Shohei Ohtani.
Then things changed quickly.
After striking out in the seventh, Feduccia was seen on the broadcast throwing up into his equipment before heading back to the dugout. Rortvedt came in to replace him behind the plate.
It’s not yet clear whether Feduccia was dealing with a simple illness or something tied to Denver’s altitude, which can be especially tough on players working hard behind the plate on a warm day. Manager Dave Roberts is expected to address Feduccia’s status after the game.
Feduccia’s exit came in his 13th start behind the plate for Los Angeles. The Dodgers added both Feduccia, from the Tampa Bay Rays, and Rortvedt, from the New York Mets, at the trade deadline to stabilize a catching group that had been stretched thin. With Will Smith nearing a return from the 60-day injured list and Dalton Rushing dealing with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow, Feduccia still has a role on the roster.
Rortvedt had started back-to-back games behind the plate, so he likely would have been in line for Wednesday’s series finale anyway. That makes Feduccia’s departure a little less alarming from a roster standpoint, even if it was an unsettling scene in the moment.
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