![\"Dominic](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/36616db19559340da4d2e969b48947b6.jpeg\"\/)
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Dominic Smith of the Atlanta Braves during his game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park in Atlanta on March 28, 2026
Credit: Edward M. Pio Roda\/Getty<\/p>\n
NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Dominic Smith of the Atlanta Braves made a historic walk-off grand slam during his home game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, March 28<\/p>\n
The home run came just two weeks after his mom died<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s just so special. I feel her every day. I miss her dearly. There\u2019s not a moment where I don\u2019t think about her,” Smith told reporters after the game<\/p>\n
Dominic Smith has made history.<\/p>\n
The Atlanta Braves first baseman, 30, made a historic walk-off grand slam during the team’s home game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, March 28, at Truist Park. The home run, which came just two weeks after his mom died, led his team to a 6-2 win.<\/p>\n
Smith told reporters that he felt his mom\u2019s presence during the game, according to the Major League Baseball<\/a> (MLB) website.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely did,\u201d he said. \u201cI got choked up a bunch of times, and I\u2019m trying to hold back tears right now. It\u2019s just so special. I feel her every day. I miss her dearly. There\u2019s not a moment where I don\u2019t think about her.\u201d<\/p>\n Dominic Smith of the Atlanta Braves and his teammates after their game against the Kansas City Royals at Truist Park in Atlanta on March 28, 2026 The game marked Smith\u2019s first time playing for the Braves, as well as the first regular-season game he played since his mom\u2019s death, per MLB.<\/p>\n The athlete’s mom, Yvette LaFleur, died of cancer on March 15 in California.<\/p>\n Smith said he left the team for about a week when his mom had a “scare,” but later returned, per ESPN<\/a>. He was not with her when she died.<\/p>\n The player became the first in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a new team, multiple outlets reported, citing the Elias Sports Bureau.<\/p>\n Smith called his team \u201cjust so awesome\u201d while speaking about how they have supported him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so blessed because of the love they showed me, the support every day. They\u2019re asking about her, asking about her well-being, my well-being, and that\u2019s all they really cared about. They didn\u2019t care about baseball,\u201d he said, per the Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dominic Smith. Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n Braves manager Walt Weiss also acknowledged Smith\u2019s impressive feat.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of emotion attached to that home run for him,\u201d he said, per ESPN.<\/p>\n Smith said he will see his family and \u201csay his goodbyes\u201d during the Braves’ upcoming trip to Anaheim, Calif., according to AP.<\/p>\n Smith was born in Los Angeles and attended Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, Calif., per his MLB profile<\/a>. He was drafted by the New York Mets in 2013.<\/p>\n In February, the Braves signed him to a minor-league contract and invited him to training. Then, on March 21, he was signed to a major-league contract with the team.<\/p>\n Smith previously played for the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants, according to ESPN<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Dominic](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/8d3933a57fa129a94616260fb046baa5.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Matthew Grimes Jr.\/Atlanta Braves\/Getty<\/p>\n![\"Dominic](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5c866136b94891aac4682b5840535d93.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Daniel Shirey\/MLB Photos via Getty<\/p>\n