Eliezer Alfonzo’s long road through the Tigers’ farm system finally led to the big leagues this week, but the moment was shadowed by devastating news from home.
Alfonzo, who spent 2017 through 2025 in Detroit’s organization before electing free agency and signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers, was selected to the major league roster on July 4 when Los Angeles moved catcher Chuckie Robinson off the active roster. He was in the Dodgers’ lineup the very next day for what became his MLB debut.
That debut came as reports from Venezuela said Alfonzo’s sister, Eliana, and step-mother, Patricia, were found dead after the country’s devastating earthquakes.
Alfonzo honored them by wearing “E y P, RIP” on his cap, along with the VZ multiple players - including the Tigers’ Keider Montero - have worn since June 24.
When he stepped to the plate at Dodger Stadium for the first time, the crowd greeted him with a standing ovation. Even Tigers fans could appreciate that one.
Alfonzo finished 0-for-2, but the line score barely matters here. Just getting on the field at all made the day something bigger than baseball.
His new teammates have surrounded him. Dave Roberts, who played with Alfonzo’s father, Eliezer Alfonzo Sr., with the Giants, spoke plainly about the moment: "I really don't know what to say about it, other than that my heart is with him and his family," he said.
"I don't want to go too deep [into it], because I'm going to get emotional. I know it's tough.
Very tough."
Miguel Rojas, a Venezuela native who viewed Alfonzo Sr. as an idol and whose own family was in Venezuela during the earthquakes, though thankfully unharmed, also paid tribute on his cap.
Alfonzo was a familiar and well-liked presence in the Tigers system for nearly a decade, and his first shot in the majors may not last long with Will Smith on the Dodgers’ IL because of a neck issue. But for one night, the game took a back seat to something far more important.
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The Tigers have already watched Kevin McGonigle and Hao-Yu Lee graduate from the system, and the depth behind them has been thinned by a wave of injuries across the organization. Even with Max Clark and Bryce Rainer still among Baseball Americas top-100 prospects, the ranking underscores how much pressure is now on the rest of the farm to rebound and restore some of the luster that made Detroits system so highly regarded not long ago. [Read more 🡒]