Eliezer Alfonzo was scheduled to make his major-league debut on Sunday while his family was still dealing with the deaths of his younger sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, in Venezuela. His father, the retired catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, was still trying to locate them after the earthquakes.
Dave Roberts on Eliezer Alfonzo
Dave Roberts said the missing family members had died. Before the Dodgers played the Padres, he added, "Don’t really know what to say about it outside of my heart goes out to him and his family," and then said, "He’s in [the lineup.] He’s going to play today, but obviously it’s heavy hearts. I don’t want to really go too far because I’ll get emotional, so I don’t know. I know it’s tough, very tough."
Alfonzo had spent nine minor-league seasons reaching this point. On Saturday, he said, "I’ve been trying to support my dad a lot, every day talking to him, trying to be with him," and added, "It’s a little tough from here because I would like to be there with him, supporting him every day."
Miguel Rojas and the family response
Miguel Rojas said two buildings collapsed two blocks away from where his family was in Venezuela when the earthquakes hit. His wife, Mariana, and their two children were there at the time, but they stayed safe and returned to the U.S. Rojas said, "I just want to be here for him," and added that he would save the ball from Alfonzo’s first major-league hit.
Alfonzo said, "We’ve just gotta stay together as a family, as a country," and added, "Because I feel like we’re a beautiful country, we’re a really beautiful people over there. It’s not just about my family, it’s all families that have lost people already." The family dog was found alive, which gave him hope while the search for his father’s wife and daughter continued.
