Dodgers Rookie Plays Hours After Family is Found Dead

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. stepped onto a Major League Baseball field for the first time Sunday while carrying a level of heartbreak few could imagine.

Just hours before his long-awaited MLB debut against the San Diego Padres, the 26-year-old catcher learned that his younger sister, Eliana, 16, and stepmother, Patricia, 50, had been found dead beneath the rubble of a collapsed hotel in Venezuela.

The two had been missing since a pair of catastrophic earthquakes struck the country on June 24, devastating communities and leaving thousands dead.

Despite the crushing news, Alfonzo chose to take the field at Dodger Stadium on July 5, completing a dream he had spent nine years working toward in the minor leagues.

Alfonzo received an emotional standing ovation when he walked to the plate for his first major league at-bat. He also honored his family by writing their initials alongside “RIP” on his cap, as well as “VZ” in tribute to his native Venezuela.

The tragedy unfolded at the Hotel Eduards in Macuto, where Patricia and Eliana had been staying with Alfonzo Jr.’s father, former MLB catcher Eliezer Alfonzo.

Alfonzo Sr., 47, had checked into the hotel with his wife and daughter on June 24. He later left for Estadio Forum La Guaira, where he was preparing to manage the Delfines de La Guaira in a game that evening.

He said he last spoke to Patricia approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. She and Eliana, a U.S. citizen, were getting ready to leave the hotel and attend the game.

Minutes later, disaster struck.

The first earthquake, measuring 7.2 magnitude, was recorded at 6:04 p.m. A second, even stronger 7.5 magnitude quake followed just 39 seconds later, causing widespread destruction across Venezuela.

As the desperate search continued, Alfonzo Sr. secured heavy machinery to help rescuers dig through the wreckage of the collapsed hotel.

The equipment helped crews locate Patricia’s cellphone and rescue Eliana’s dog, which reportedly barked from beneath the debris before being pulled out alive.

The discovery gave Alfonzo Sr. hope that his wife and daughter might also be found alive.

“If my daughter’s little dog turned up, I think the two of them are in there,” he told local reporter Maryorin Mendez. “I know my wife and daughter are real fighters.”

That hope ended Sunday when reports confirmed that Patricia and Eliana had been recovered from the rubble but had not survived.

Before the Dodgers faced the Padres, manager Dave Roberts struggled to contain his emotions while discussing what his young catcher was enduring.

“I haven’t seen him today, and don’t really know what to say about it, outside of my heart goes out to him and his family,” Roberts told reporters.

“So he is in there, he is gonna play today. But obviously, ‘heavy heart’ is not even justifying it.”

Roberts then stopped himself from saying more.

“I don’t wanna go too far ’cause I’ll get emotional,” he said. “It’s tough, very tough.”

Alfonzo Jr.’s teammate Miguel Rojas also showed his support by writing “Alfonzo” and “Fuerza Matatan” on his cap, referring to the nickname used by Alfonzo Sr.

Alfonzo Jr. later said the support he received from Dodgers fans meant a great deal to him. He also shared a heartbreaking memory involving Eliana, who once told him she had dreamed about his baseball career but would not reveal the dream until it came true.

He now believes his sister was watching over him as he finally reached the major leagues.

Alfonzo Sr. spent parts of six seasons in the majors, playing for the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies.

The earthquakes also reportedly claimed the lives of relatives connected to several other athletes. The wives of Delfines de La Guaira players Gorkys Hernández and Harold Chirinos were reportedly found beneath the rubble.

Hernández’s wife was among those confirmed dead, while the wife and children of Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo were also killed.

Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said Friday that the official death toll had climbed to 2,595. By Monday, July 6, authorities said the number had risen further to 3,535, with nearly 18,000 people left homeless and thousands more injured or displaced.

Alfonzo Jr. signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in November and received an invitation to major league spring training.

He was later assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets before the Dodgers officially called him up on July 4.

What should have been the happiest weekend of his baseball life instead became an unimaginable collision of triumph and tragedy.

Still, with his loved ones’ initials written across his cap, Alfonzo stepped onto the field and fulfilled his major league dream in their honor.