A Dominican-born player on the Red Sox hits a home run in his return to his home country.
The Boston Red Sox traveled to the Dominican Republic for two exhibition games against the Tampa Bay Rays, starting on Saturday.
These games served as a break from spring training and marked the beginning of the MLB World Tour in 2024. The Red Sox fielded a team with several Dominican-born players, and one of them made a memorable impact.
Enmanuel Valdez came up to bat and hit a solo home run that cleared the foul pole in right field, helping to extend Boston’s lead in the sixth inning of what would be a 4-0 victory for the Red Sox.
Y tiene swing
Y baila swing
Y goza swing
¡Qué lindo SWING, SWING, SWING! pic.twitter.com/wBiNMnUHoY— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 9, 2024
Enmanuel Valdez's HR in Spanish! 🔥 #RedSox pic.twitter.com/M8Xu5i56jL
— NESN (@NESN) March 10, 2024
The infielder, a native of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, showcased his skills on Saturday night. Valdez, who saw sporadic action at second base last season, posted a .266 batting average with six home runs in 49 games. Red Sox manager Alex Cora has praised both Valdez and Wilyer Abreu, who were acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros in 2022.
With Vaughn Grissom dealing with a groin injury this spring, the 24-year-old Valdez could find himself in the lineup on Opening Day.
