New York Yankees Catcher Undergoes Emergency Surgery

New York Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt recently underwent surgery to address an aneurysm near his left shoulder that was causing a circulation issue and finger numbness.

He is not expected to resume baseball activities for at least one month.

According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Rortvedt's surgery was successful in addressing the circulation issue in his shoulder, which had been affecting his finger. However, he will likely miss the entire Grapefruit League season, and could potentially open the 2023 regular season on the injured list.

Yankees’ Ben Rortvedt to miss at least a month with ‘bizarre’ injury https://t.co/Fibn9XvWW8 pic.twitter.com/Xv8pnksUO0

— New York Post (@nypost) February 27, 2023

Rortvedt, who is 25 years old, was originally acquired by the Yankees to serve as their backup catcher in 2022, but suffered an oblique injury in spring training, which led to the acquisition of Jose Trevino and pushed Rortvedt down the depth chart.

He later underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in May and did not debut for the Yankees in 2022.

Despite these setbacks, Rortvedt had looked a likely candidate to make Yankees' Opening Day roster this year, but his recent surgery and recovery timeline will likely prevent that from happening.

The Yankees may need to look for a veteran catcher to bring into camp, as none of their non-roster catchers have any major league experience.

Rortvedt is a former second-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in the 2016 MLB Draft. Photo Credit:  Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports