Alfonzo Debuts for Dodgers Amid Venezuela Earthquake Deaths
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- Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. debuted as the Dodgers' starting catcher in Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres after being called up Saturday, following nine years in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system.
- Alfonzo's stepmother Patricia and younger sister Eliana were found dead after being missing for nine days, victims of the twin 7-plus-magnitude earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 25.
- Alfonzo, 26, signed with the Dodgers as a minor league free agent in November and was slashing .313/.392/.422 in Triple-A when promoted.
- The Dodgers called up Alfonzo to replace Chuckie Robinson, who had been backing up Dalton Rushing while starter Will Smith deals with a neck injury.
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Alfonzo playing through grief: 'I don't really want to go too far because I'll get emotional. I know it's tough. Very tough.'
- Alfonzo is the son of retired major league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo.
Why it matters: A nine-year minor-league grind culminated in an MLB debut shadowed by catastrophic personal loss, with Alfonzo stepping behind the plate hours after confirming the deaths of two family members killed by a natural disaster that struck his homeland.
