Family of Dodgers rookie Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. found dead in wake of Venezuela earthquakes just ahead of MLB debut

Alfonzo’s 16-year-old sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, had been missing for more than a week after the Venezuelan earthquakes. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)Brandon Sloter via Getty ImagesThe sister and stepmother of Dodgers catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr., who was only called up to the team from the minor leagues on Saturday, were found dead on Sunday in Venezuela. The news came just hours before Alfonzo was set to make his MLB debut.

>Alfonzo’s 16-year-old sister, Eliana, and stepmother, Patricia, had been missing for more than a week after the two massive earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. The two were found dead on Sunday in La Guaira, according to El Extrabase’s Daniel Álvarez-Montes.

>Alfonzo’s father, Eliezer Sr., had been searching for them in the wreckage of a hotel that they were staying at when the twin earthquakes hit and had reportedly even secured heavy machinery to aid rescue crews. That equipment even helped turn up Eliana’s dog, who was alive, on Friday. Patricia’s cell phone was found then, too.

>Eliezer Sr. had been staying with his family in the hotel before the earthquakes hit, but had left to manage his Delfines de la Guaira team. He spent six seasons in MLB playing for the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies. He said he wasn’t sure whether they had left the room before the earthquakes hit.

>The first quake hit at 6:04 p.m. on June 24 with a magnitude of 7.2 near San Felipe. Not even a minute later, a second quake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit nearby. More than 2,900 people have died as of Saturday, according to The New York Times, and roughly 16,600 people are injured.

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>Eliezer Jr. is in his 10th season in minor league baseball, and is now reaching the big leagues at age 26. He started his career as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers in 2016, and reached Triple-A last season. He elected free agency last offseason and struck a minor league deal with the Dodgers. He held a .313 batting average with the Oklahoma City Comets so far this season.

>The Dodgers have needed a second catcher to backup Dalton Rushing, especially after Will Smith was placed on the injured list with a neck injury last month. The Dodgers brought Eliezer Jr. up to replace Chuckie Robinson, who struggled after being called up as their first option.

>Despite the news, Alfonzo was still listed in the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon. The Dodgers enter Sunday’s contest with the San Diego Padres with a 59-31 record and firmly in the lead in the NL West race.