Eliezer Alfonzo Jr.

Eliezer Vicente Alfonzo

• Bats Both, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 155 lb.

• Debut July 5, 2026

• Born September 23, 1999 in Barcelona, Anzoátegui Venezuela

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. is the son of former major league catcher Eliezer Alfonzo; his brother, Omar Alfonzo, began his minor league career in 2021.

He was first signed to a professional contract by the Detroit Tigers on July 4, 2016. He played in the Tigers organization from 2017 to 2025, being forced to sit out the 2020 season when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the minor leagues. In spite of posting good hitting numbers everywhere he played, he did not make it to AAA until the start of the 2025 season, and just for 8 games before being sent back to the AA Erie SeaWolves. He was a mid-season All-Star in the Dominican Summer League in 2018 and a Tigers organizational All-Star in 2021, after splitting that season between Class-A and High-A, but the Tigers did not seem to see him as more that an organizational soldier and did not seem to want to promote him aggressively or to give him significant playing time.

He caught a career break when he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent before the 2026 season. He was assigned to the AAA Oklahoma City Comets, where he shared catching duties with another veteran, Chuckie Robinson. Robinson was called up to the big league club when major league starting catcher Will Smith went down with an injury in June, but when he failed to hit, the Dodgers replaced him with Eliezer, who was batting .313 in 49 games in AAA. He made his major league debut on July 5th as the starting catcher against the San Diego Padres, and he went 0 for 2 before giving way to pinch-hitter Tommy Edman in the 7th inning. Los Angeles lost the game, 5-2. The debut came at a tough time for the Alfonzo family, as two close relatives, his stepmother Patricia and sister Eliana were both reported missing and presumed dead after the massive twin earthquakes that had hit his native Venezuela on June 24th. Their remains were found on the day of his debut, and his father was among those volunteering to search in the rubble for those still missing.

In addition to his time in the minors and majors, he has played regularly in the Venezuelan League, starting with the Leones del Caracas in 2023-24, and then the Navegantes del Magallanes the following winters.

Further Reading

• Sonja Chen: "Alfonzo makes MLB debut with heavy heart after family tragedy in Venezuela", mlb.com, July 6, 2026. [1]
• J.P. Hoornstra: "Dodgers Rookie's Family Found Dead Ahead of MLB Debut", Yahoo! Sports, July 5, 2026. [2]

Related Sites

• Eliezer Alfonzo on mlb.com