LOS ANGELES -- Eliezer Alfonzo Jr., the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting catcher for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres, made his major league debut with a heavy heart. According to reports out of Venezuela, Alfonzo's stepmom and sister were found dead from the earthquakes that recently ravaged the nation.
Alfonzo, 26, was called up Saturday after spending the past nine years toiling in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system, and expressed hope that his stepmom, Patricia, and younger sister, Eliana, might be found. The two had been missing for nine days since twin 7-plus-magnitude earthquakes struck the northern part of Venezuela on June 24.
But according to multiple reports out of Venezuela on Sunday morning, they were found dead in the wreckage of a hotel in La Guaira where they were staying.
Alfonzo, the son of retired major league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, was signed by the Dodgers as a minor league free agent in November and was slashing .313/.392/.422 in Triple-A. The Dodgers called him up to replace Chuckie Robinson, who was serving as the backup to Dalton Rushing while starter Will Smith deals with a neck injury.
Alfonzo batted ninth in the lineup and caught Emmet Sheehan in Sunday's series finale against the Padres.
The Dodgers have not officially confirmed the news of the deaths. But Alfonzo had "RIP" written on his hat Sunday night, and manager Dave Roberts addressed the situation before the game.
"Don't really know what to say about it outside of my heart goes out to him and his family," Roberts said of Alfonzo playing through grief. "He is in there. He's in play today, but obviously, heavy heart's not even justifying. I don't really want to go too far because I'll get emotional. I know it's tough. Very tough."
