Dodgers Prospect Makes Debut Hours After Learning Family Died in Earthquake
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Eliézer Alfonzo made his Major League debut on Sunday, July 5, with a heavy heart after learning just hours earlier that two family members had died in the earthquakes that hit Venezuela last month.
Alfonzo, 26, got the call he always dreamed of on Saturday, July 4, when he received word that he was being called up to the Big Leagues. At the time, his 16-year-old sister, Eliana, and his stepmother, Patricia, were still considered missing amid the wreckage of two earthquakes that hit the country on June 24, killing more than 3,000 people.
As word of Alfonzo's situation spread across social media, Dodgers fans caught wind and greeted him with a standing ovation before his first at bat.
"I felt very emotional and very happy when I heard my name announced, when I took my first turn to bat, to feel the support from the fans," Alfonzo told reporters in Spanish following the Dodgers' 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. "It's something I appreciated very much and something I'll always keep in my heart."
Alfonzo played the game with "EyP RIP" written on his cap in honor of Eliana and Patricia. He went 0-2 before being lifted in the seventh inning for a pinch hitter.
His new teammate, veteran Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas, admitted it was "really tough" to put the situation into words. His own wife and children were in Venezuela and just blocks away from buildings that collapsed during the earthquakes.
"Just for him to be here today and making the decision that he was going to just fulfill his childhood dream of playing in the big leagues, thinking about that and thinking about them and what happened over there and what his dad has to be going through right now by himself in Venezuela - it's really tough," Rojas, 37, told reporters afte the game.
He added, "For me, I'm just going to support the whole family and especially Eliézer because I know how hard it is to play like that."
The rookie Eliezer is the son of Eliézer Alfonzo Sr., who played six seasons in the Majors from 2006 to 2011. He was also a member of the Dodgers' minor league system in 2013 as Rojas was coming up.
"It's been hard for me," Rojas admitted. "Nothing happened to one of my family members, but as soon as I heard the news about them, it kind of hit me as hard as if it was my family. I consider Eliezer Alfonso Sr. one of my close friends in baseball."
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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 5:58 PM.