Before Sunday, it had been seven years since Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol had seen his mother, Ysmalia. She had missed so many moments in his life, including his first 176 games as a major leaguer. But when Graterol finally got to pitch in front of his mom for the first time on Tuesday, he made the most of it.
Ysmalia had been unable to travel to the United States from Venezuela due to a visa issue. Graterol had worked for years to try to get her to Los Angeles, but it took until last week for her to finally get the green light.
“There have been a lot of things that have been very hard. When I made my debut, she wasn’t here. When I got married, she wasn’t here. When I had my daughter, she wasn’t here,” Graterol said through an interpreter. “Those are very difficult times. But to be able to now share that and be there with her is special.”
Graterol said he was “paralyzed” with emotion when he met his mom at the airport on Sunday night. He didn’t pitch in Monday night’s game but when he entered Tuesday’s game against the Tigers in the eighth inning, he finally got to pitch in front of his mom for the first time in a big league uniform.
Graterol, who’s been the Dodgers’ most reliable reliever this season, was brilliant, needing just 13 pitches to work a one-two-three inning. On his way off the field, he made sure to find his mom in the stands.
What a moment. 🥹
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2023
After seven years apart living in Venezuela, Brusdar’s mother watched her son pitch for the first time as a Major Leaguer. pic.twitter.com/nUUJZpxeGb
It was a tense game, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts couldn’t help but stop to think about what the moment meant to Graterol and his mother.
“You sort of get into the game mode, but how can you not appreciate that emotional moment for Brusdar, his mom, his family?” Roberts said. “They haven’t seen each other for seven years, and a lot has happened in seven years. I don’t know how they managed it. … It was really special, one of the top [moments] I’ve ever been a part of.”
