Dodgers Alfonzo Jr. MLB debut after sister, stepmother die

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. made his Major League Baseball debut on Sunday, July 5, 2026, in a game overshadowed by profound personal tragedy. The 26-year-old rookie took the field at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres just hours after learning that his 16-year-old sister, Eliana, and his stepmother, Patricia, had been confirmed dead following the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.

The two women had been missing since a series of powerful earthquakes struck northwestern and central Venezuela on June 24. Their bodies were found in the wreckage of a hotel in La Guaira, where they had been staying. The disaster has claimed thousands of lives.

Despite receiving the heartbreaking news on the morning of his debut, Alfonzo chose to play. When he stepped to the plate for his first major league at-bat in the third inning, the crowd rose for a sustained standing ovation in recognition of his loss and his courage.

"It was a little difficult, but at the same time, thanking God always for everything," Alfonzo said after the Dodgers' 5-2 loss. "What happened, unfortunately, is out of my hands and part of life. I went out there to honor my sister and my...