Dodgers to Promote Rookie Hitting .313 Amid Tragedy: Reports

The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to promote catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. for his major league debut, according to multiple reports Saturday.

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, catcher Chuckie Robinson will be optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding roster move.

The Dodgers are calling up catcher Eliezer Alfonso, a source confirms. @ElExtrabase was on it. He will take Chuckie Robinson’s spot on the roster.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 4, 2026

Alfonzo, 26, is not on the Dodgers' 40-man roster, so a separate transaction will be required before he can appear in a game. The Dodgers haven't officially announced either move yet.

Alfonzo is slashing .313/.392/.422 in 49 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

🚨🇻🇪 En medio de la tragedia que azota a su familia tras el terremoto en Venezuela, Eliezer Alfonzo Jr., acaba de recibir el llamado a Grandes Ligas por parte de Los Angeles Dodgers.

¡A meter mano, Fonzy! pic.twitter.com/1TbZJ0Aejx
— Adrián Bonilla (@jadrian_97) July 4, 2026

The Dodgers invited Alfonzo to their major league spring training camp after signing him to a minor league contract last November. He went 9-for-36 (.250) with three doubles in 15 Cactus League games.

The promotion comes amid unimaginable tragedy. On June 24, a pair of major earthquakes struck Alfonzo's home country of Venezuela. The death toll has reportedly exceeded 1,900 and will climb as rescue workers sort through the destruction.

It’s such a difficult moment for the Alfonzo family. While they celebrate Eliezer’s promotion to the big leagues, his father is still looking for his daughter and wife (not Eliezer Jr’s mom) after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. They were staying at one of the buildings…
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) July 4, 2026

Alfonzo's sister, Eliána, and stepmother, Patricia, were reportedly in a hotel that collapsed in La Guaira, Venezuela. His father, former major league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Sr., is currently in Venezuela assisting in rescue efforts. Neither Eliána nor Patricia have been found yet.

⚾️ | El exgrandeliga Eliezer Alfonzo continúa buscando a su esposa y a su hija, quienes se encontraban en el Hotel Eduard's al momento de los terremotos, según informó la periodista Maryorin Méndez

Destacó que, nueve días después de la tragedia, los equipos de rescate lograron… pic.twitter.com/OFF2m42PSX
— El Cooperante (@El_Cooperante) July 4, 2026

The Dodgers snapped up Alfonzo in free agency after he reached Triple-A for the first time in 2025, his eighth professional season. A switch-hitter, Alfonzo went 7-for-32 (.219) in eight games with the Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers' top farm team to end the 2025 season.

Alfonzo spent eight seasons in the Tigers' farm system after he signed out of Venezuela as an amateur free agent.

Robinson, 31, went 2-for-23 as the backup to Dalton Rushing after Will Smith landed on the injured list with a neck injury. Alfonzo's promotion could be a reflection of Smith's prognosis as much as his own ability.

Smith was scratched from the Dodgers' lineup on June 6 due to neck inflammation. Initially Smith was expected to miss only one game.

Not only was the three-time All-Star subsequently placed on the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said this week he won't be back until after the All-Star break.

The Dodgers ostensibly have seen enough from Alfonzo to feel comfortable with his bat and his glove behind the plate for a week or longer, prompting changes to both their 26- and 40-man rosters.

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