The Los Angeles Dodgers roster reshuffle has seen an unexpected name get a call: Venezuelan catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. Alfonzo Jr.’s family has often in the news in Venezuela, thanks to his dad, Eliezer Alfonzo, a former minor league player. But as Eliezer Jr. prepares for potential Dodgers debut, his family is in the headlines for a tragic reason.
Eliezer Alfonzo Jr’s 16-year-old sister, Eliana, and his stepmother, Patricia, have been missing for over a week now following the tragic dual earthquake that hit Venezuela on June 24. On Sunday, July 5, they were declared dead.
Patricia and Eliana were staying at a hotel in Macuto, La Guaira state, Venezuela, when the earthquakes hit. The hotel was reduced to rubble even as Eliezer Alfonzo continued searching for them.
“If my daughter’s little dog turned up, I think the two of them are in there,” Eliezer Alfonzo told a local reporter on Friday, New York Post reported. “I know my wife and daughter are real fighters.” But on Sunday, El Extrabase’s Daniel Álvarez-Montes confirmed that both of them were found dead.
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Eliezer Alfonzo played in the minor leagues for the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies. As Eliezer Alfonzo Jr braces for his Dodgers debut, here’s a look at the family.
Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. Family: All About His Dad, Late Stepmother And Sister
Eliezer Alfonzo Jr comes from a family of baseball heritage, with his father Eliezer Alfonzo rising to fame for his baseball career that spanned over 15 years across Venezuela, the US and the Mexican leagues. Most of his time in the US was spent playing in minor leagues.
He ended his career with Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican league in the 2016 season. He then started coaching in the Mexican League.
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Not a lot is known about his wife, Patricia Alfonzo and their daughter, Emilia. His Instagram account documents both Alfonzo Jr and Emilia in family photos. For instance, here’s one:
He also has another son, Omar Alfonzo, who plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the minor leagues. Some reports claim that he has another son called Jordan, but details about it are still very limited.
As of Sunday, the death toll from Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has risen to 3,342. 16,470 are injured, while 17,345 are homeless.
