After a second earthquake left families in Venezuela scrambling for reassurance, Cubs infielder Pedro Ramirez said he tried to reach his mother during a doubleheader—only to wait through long minutes before finally learning his family was safe. The Cubs wore “
NEW YORK — During the second game of Wednesday’s doubleheader, Venezuelan reliever Daniel Palencia told Cubs infielder Pedro Ramirez that the situation at home had worsened after a second earthquake struck.
The 22-year-old reached for his phone after the game to text his mother. This time, the reassurance didn’t come quickly.
“After the game, I texted my mom, and she didn’t immediately respond to me,” Ramirez said through an interpreter Thursday. “So there was some worry there.”
He eventually heard back. “She eventually did respond to me, and I was able to get in touch with her,” Ramirez said. “Thank god my family’s safe. But still, I’m really sad for everything that we’re going through.”
Ramirez’s worry sits alongside the growing scale of the disaster. The earthquakes in Venezuela, which struck on Wednesday, have claimed more than 150 lives and negatively affected so many more, leaving families dealing with the aftermath—death, injuries, and people left without a home.
“There’s a lot of deaths, a lot of children [affected] and a lot of people that were left without a home,” Ramirez said. “We’re fine, but we’re still sad with everything that has occurred.”
For Ramirez and his Cubs teammates, being a continent away from home can magnify every delay. He said he’s learned to live farther from loved ones since he left Venezuela at 12 years old to chase his baseball career. Even with that experience, he described how silence can quickly turn into fear.
“It’s difficult because you’re far away from them, and whenever they don’t respond to you, you always get worried because you don’t know what happens to your family once you’re far away,” Ramirez said.
The Cubs’ Venezuelan group includes catcher Moises Ballesteros, currently playing in the minor leagues; infield coach Jonathan Mota; bullpen catcher Erick Castillo; and reliever Palencia, who spoke with Ramirez during the doubleheader.
“We’re all Venezuelan,” Ramirez said. “And we’re all sharing that pain together.”
On Thursday night, Ramirez and Palencia wore caps with “VZ” on the side during the game, a visible show of solidarity with teammates and countrymen living through the crisis.
“It’s a way to show that we’re there with them and that everything that they’re feeling, we’re feeling as well,” Ramirez said. “All the Venezuelans outside of the country, we’re all feeling that.”
Away from home, Ramirez said the hardest part is knowing others may not get the same confirmation he eventually did.
“Thankfully, Ramirez now knows his family is OK,” the Cubs player said, but his focus remains on those still searching for reassurance.
“Their heart is with the Venezuelans who are still looking for that same reassurance and those who aren’t able to find it,” Ramirez added.
The Cubs’ night also carried the usual weight of baseball injuries and roster churn. with several pitching setbacks described inside the organization. Right-hander Ben Brown is dealing with a stress reaction in his neck that’s being described as similar to the injury that wiped out the second half of his 2024 season. The team sent Brown back to Chicago to be checked out. and the Cubs plan to get a second opinion before setting what team president Jed Hoyer called “a plan of attack.”.
Hoyer said before Thursday’s game that the process would include rest and a determination of how long that rest period should last.
Meanwhile, left-hander Matthew Boyd returned from the injured list after throwing 76 pitches across 4⅔ innings in his long-awaited comeback Thursday. Boyd. the 2025 All Star. dealt with “a lot of traffic on the bases. ” according to the game account. allowing four hits and walking four batters. while keeping the Mets off the scoreboard.
With multiple pitchers going down with injuries Wednesday, the Cubs also acquired the 2025 All Star in a deal with the Mets while in New York, bringing in Peterson on Thursday to help their ailing rotation and believing he could succeed with their defense behind him.
One thing stood out in all of it, though: for Ramirez, baseball was only the backdrop. The real tension was the unanswered phone call—and what it meant for a family still waiting to hear whether the world had spared them.
Cubs Pedro Ramirez Venezuela earthquake Daniel Palencia Moises Ballesteros Jed Hoyer Ben Brown Matthew Boyd Mets VZ caps
That wait for a text response is brutal.
How are they still playing games right after that? Like the Cubs should’ve canceled or something. Prayers to everyone though.
I don’t get it, if there was a second earthquake wouldn’t the phones be totally dead? maybe his mom just ignored him or had low service? Either way, sad. Also 150 deaths is insane.
My cousin in Florida did the same thing when he couldn’t reach his family during some storm and everyone got all scared. So I feel for him, but also it says he’s “fine” like… are they sure? Earthquakes can mess stuff up for days. Hope they get housing and everything back.