He spent part of 1960 with Spokane, the bulk of the year with Class B Green Bay, and was called to the Dodgers in September for his first taste of MLB action.

But the Dodgers slumped to the second division and, in search of pitching help, included Ortega in a blockbuster December 4, 1964, seven-player trade with the Washington Senators which saw Los Angeles obtain veteran left-hander Claude Osteen for slugger Frank Howard.

Managed by former Dodger teammate Gil Hodges, Ortega took a regular turn in the Senators' rotation, with 94 starting appearances over his first three seasons, including the 1965 "Presidential Opener".

But his performance declined in 1968 with only five wins in 17 decisions and a poor 4.98 earned run average, and Ortega's contract was sold to the California Angels just prior to the 1969 season.

During his ten-year MLB career, Ortega compiled 46 wins (against 62 defeats), 20 complete games, nine shutouts, 549 strikeouts, and a 4.43 earned run average.