Eliezer Alfonzo Jr Sends Message to Dodgers Fans After Emotional MLB Debut

The Los Angeles Dodgers selected the contract of catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. earlier this week via a phone call that every young baseball player dreams of receiving one day.

A few hours later, Alfonzo received a phone call that he had been dreading since his stepmother and sister were reported missing during the two earthquakes that hit Northern Venezuela on June 24. On the eve of his MLB debut, he would have to carry the immeasurable weight of grief with him into the batter's box after finding out his sister and stepmother were found deceased.

When walking to the plate for his first MLB at-bat, more than 46,000 fans at Dodger Stadium rose to their feet to not only congratulate him on the culmination of almost 10 years in the minor league track, but to support him in a difficult time.

Dodgers fans give a standing ovation to Eliezer Alfonzo, who is making his MLB debut on the day it was reported his sister and stepmother were killed by the Venezuelan earthquakes

Sending all our love to the Alfonzo family 💙 pic.twitter.com/vrb9DuzHT7
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 6, 2026

Alfonzo felt the love, and spoke about what it meant for him to receive such an ovation after the game.

“I felt very emotional and very happy when I heard my name announced when I took my first turn to bat, to feel the support from the fans,” Alfonzo said. “It’s something I appreciated very much and something I’ll always keep in my heart.”

The young catcher also revealed that in what ended up being one of his final conversations with his sister, she told him about a dream she had. Though she never told him exactly what it was, he had a feeling it had something to do with his call-up.

“This is a tough moment because three weeks ago, she had a dream, but she wasn’t going to tell me until the dream came true,” Alfonzo said. “I’m pretty sure the dream was something about this. I wish she was alive to watch me play in the big leagues. But I know she’s on God’s side now and she’s gonna protect me and she’s gonna enjoy every moment that I’m gonna have.”

Alfonzo had been in the Detroit Tigers' minor league system since 2017. This past offseason, the young catcher was signed on a minor league deal by the Dodgers and produced a .313 batting average in 49 Triple-A contests.

His father, Eliezer Alfonzo Sr., was a six-year MLB veteran and has played against Miguel Rojas in the Venezuelan Winter League and was a teammate of manager Dave Roberts for two seasons while a member of the San Francisco Giants.

“He realized a dream today,” Roberts said of his young catcher. “Obviously, that was certainly on his heart all day, but he did a fantastic job of driving our pitching staff, compartmentalizing. I’m sure now, after today, it’s going to really hit him, and he will deal with his reality, which all of us feel for him and his father. It’s devastating.”

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