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The Los Angeles Dodgers have made the decision to promote 26-year-old Venezuelan catcher Eliezer Alfonzo Jr. from Triple-A and option Chuckie Robinson down to the minor leagues.
The Dodgers announced the move before Saturday’s game against the San Diego Padres.
Alonzo has been hitting the ball very well down in Triple-A, slashing .313/.393/.422 with just one home run but also 17 RBIs. Additionally, he has 22 walks to 17 strikeouts.
Robinson, on the other hand, has struggled to hit in both the majors and the minors, serving more as a defensive option for the Dodgers.
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Mar 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Eliezer Alfonzo against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Dodgers have gone from having one of the best catcher pairings in MLB with Dalton Rushing and Will Smith to just having the inexperienced Rushing as the main option.
Ideally, Alfonzo can hit well enough to give Rushing more rest, but until Will Smith returns, the Dodgers will seemingly be left rotating minor league catchers.
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May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) in the dugout prior to game against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
How much longer will Will Smith be out?
Manager Dave Roberts has ruled out Will Smith returning before the All-Star Break, which would mean there are several more weeks until he is able to play in the majors.
Given how long he has been out, a rehabilitation assignment is likely in the cards for his full ramp-up.
Smith has not done baseball activities for more than a week now, getting an injection in his neck to hopefully unlock some comfort to hit the field again.
However, things have not worked out well for him, and he has not progressed as expected.
“I think there’s some restriction as far as kind of the lateral, when he does kind of try to ramp it up. It’s still some soreness, maybe a little bit of pain,” Roberts said. “So we just haven’t been able to get to the next step to push the baseball activity.”
“It’s certainly longer, I know, than all of us expected. But I don’t think it’s anything real, affecting-the-season type thing.”
Alfonzo should get some time to show what he can do at the major league level, since this will be his taste of baseball at the highest level.
Sadly, it comes at a time for the Venezuelan when he is going through some real trauma, with his sister being a victim of the massive earthquake that rocked the country.
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