Just In: A deal have just been finalised between LA Dodgers and top rivals to trade……Read more

The news of Fernando Valenzuela’s absence from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Spanish-language broadcast booth arrived quietly, at the end of a report in the Los Angeles Daily News last week.

Wednesday, the Dodgers confirmed what had been apparent to those who had been close to Valenzuela in recent weeks: the 63-year-old was taking time off to focus on his health.

Neither the team nor those close to Valenzuela have publicly said what the health issue is.

“Fernando Valenzuela has stepped away from the Dodger broadcast booth for the remainder of this year to focus on his health,” the team statement read. “He and his family truly appreciate the love and support of fans as he aims to return for the 2025 season, and they have asked for privacy during this time.”

Los Angeles Dodgers Fernando Valenzuela Sandy Koufax

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 10: (L-R) Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers Fernando Valenzuela and Sandy Koufax look on from the dugout before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium on August 10,… More Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

Valenzuela became a franchise legend as the Dodgers marched to the 1981 World Series. That year, he became the first player in MLB history to be named Rookie of the Year and win a Cy Young Award in the same season.

No Dodger player has worn number 34 since Valenzuela’s last game on the mound; the number was formally retired by the team last year. He ranks among the team’s all-time top 10 in wins, shutouts, strikeouts, games started, and innings pitched.

Over 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, Valenzuela went 173-153 with a 3.54 ERA. Although he never equaled his success as a rookie, Valenzuela made six All-Star teams with the Dodgers and collected a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award along the way.

After 11 seasons (1980-90) electrifying the Mexican American fan base in Los Angeles, Valenzuela went on to pitch for the California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals from 1991-97. He continued to pitch in his native Mexico for the better part of the next decade.