**Fernando Valenzuela Steps Away from Broadcast Booth to Prioritize Health**

Beloved former Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who later transitioned to a career as a broadcaster, will be taking a hiatus for the rest of the year to focus on his health, according to a statement released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. The announcement highlighted the appreciation Valenzuela and his family have for the support from fans and their request for privacy during this period as he aims to return in 2025.

Recent reports indicate that Valenzuela has been hospitalized and will temporarily step back from his broadcasting duties with both the Dodgers and other media outlets, including TelevisaUnivision, or TUDN, and the Southern California News Group.

Valenzuela, a native of Sonora, Mexico, gained widespread fame after joining the Dodgers in 1980. He was a pivotal figure in what became known as "Fernandomania," captivating baseball fans across the nation. His contributions were crucial in helping the Dodgers clinch the World Series titles in 1981 and 1988, their first championships in nearly two decades.

Last year, the Dodgers honored Valenzuela by retiring his jersey number 34, making him the twelfth player in the franchise's history to receive such an accolade. The celebration included a weekend-long tribute, starting with a memorable ceremony at Dodger Stadium where his number was cut into the grass and stenciled in white on the mound.

Jaime Jarrín, a former broadcaster who covered Dodger games from 1959 to 2022, remarked in a Major League Baseball profile that Valenzuela had a unique ability to draw fans to the sport, particularly within the Mexican community. "He created more baseball fans, and Dodger fans, than any other player," Jarrín noted.

Cruz Angeles, the director of a 2010 ESPN documentary about Valenzuela, emphasized the pitcher's impact on the children of Mexican immigrants in Southern California during the 1980s. Angeles described Valenzuela as a hero to Generation X, inspiring dreams of success and unity within the community. "He was the Mexican who made it and was destroying all of the competition," Angeles said, highlighting how fathers wanted their sons to emulate Valenzuela's success.

As Valenzuela steps back to prioritize his health, the Dodgers community and fans worldwide are sending their best wishes, eagerly anticipating his return to the broadcast booth in 2025.