CHICAGO — Just when Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt was cleared for in-game action on a rehab assignment, working back from his right oblique muscle strain, a new injury has popped up for the backstop.
"He's dealing with a knee issue right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday before New York's game against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. "We're kind of trying to get our hands wrapped around that. He caught the other day and the knee was kind of catching on him a little bit. So we got to see what we have there."
Boone added that the expectation is that Rortvedt will have an MRI done on his knee, visiting with doctors to get an official diagnosis.
Rortvedt, 24, was acquired by the Yankees in the Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa trade, a deal that sent Gary Sánchez and Gio Urshela to the Minnesota Twins in March.
New York pulled the trigger on the deal knowing that Rortvedt was managing an oblique injury, something that popped up previously as a result of his offseason workload.
Rortvedt began his rehab assignment on March 7, playing in back-to-back games. He hasn't appeared in a game since then.
Asked about this frustrating stretch for the catcher, as he's been unable to make an impact on his new club, Boone reiterated that the organization is still very excited about adding him to the fold going forward.
"We're obviously, knock on wood, in pretty good shape here right now with our catching situation," Boone said. "But still, we really are excited about him and what he brings to the table too. We just got to get him right right now. Feel like at some point he'll play a factor for us."
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As Boone alluded to, even if Rortvedt was healthy, he might not have a spot on New York's big-league roster. With Kyle Higashioka and Jose Trevino platooning in pinstripes, playing good defense and helping this pitching staff excel early on, the more inexperienced Rortvedt would've likely been in Triple-A.
Then again, the Yankees didn't go out and trade for Trevino—in a deal with the Texas Rangers including right-hander Albert Abreu—until after Rortvedt's injury needed an extended period of time to recuperate.
Rortvedt, known for his skills defensively behind the dish, made his MLB debut with the Twins last season. He hit .169 in 39 games (15-for-89) with three home runs.
Over Rortvedt's very brief rehab stint in Tampa, the 24-year-old was 2-for-4 at the plate with a homer and a walk.
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