NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dominic Smith was playing with a heavy heart when he made his Atlanta Braves<\/a> debut on Saturday night \u2013 his sixth team in four years.<\/p>\n Smith\u2019s mother, Yvette LaFleuer, died of cancer earlier this month. When Smith stepped up to the plate against the Kansas City Royals in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, he said he could feel her presence with him.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The Atlanta Braves celebrate at home plate after a walk-off grand slam from Dominic Smith, center, in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Atlanta.\u00a0<\/span> (AP Photo\/Colin Hubbard)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The slugger hit a walk-off grand slam to win the game for the Braves, 6-2.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s just amazing,” he told reporters. “Played against the Braves for a long time, and being on the other side a lot of these endings kind of hurt, so to be on the right side of it this time was so fun.”<\/p>\n Smith said that his teammates had been very supporting of him during spring training<\/a> when his mother was ill. She was diagnosed with cancer in September and nearly died at the start of camp.<\/p>\n He left the team to be with her for over a week when she had a “scare” and when he returned, he was fighting for a roster spot.<\/p>\n Atlanta Braves’ Dominic Smith reacts after hitting a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Atlanta.\u00a0<\/span> (AP Photo\/Colin Hubbard)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n MLB TOP PROSPECT SHARES HILARIOUS MOMENT WITH VETERAN WHO ROBBED HIS HOME RUN AFTER FOUR-HIT MLB DEBUT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “This team is just so awesome,” Smith said. “I\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.”<\/p>\n Smith\u2019s walk-off grand slam made him the first player in MLB history<\/a> to achieve the moment in his debut with a new team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.<\/p>\n Smith has been trying to find a permanent home after spending his first six years with the New York Mets<\/a>. He played for the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants since leaving New York.<\/p>\n Atlanta Braves’ Dominic Smith (8) hits a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Atlanta.<\/span> (AP Photo\/Colin Hubbard)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Last year, Smith had five home runs and 33 RBI in 63 games with the Giants.<\/p>\n The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n Follow Fox News Digital\u2019s<\/strong><\/i>\u00a0sports coverage on X<\/u><\/strong><\/i><\/a> and subscribe to<\/strong><\/i> the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/i><\/a>.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Dominic](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1200\/675\/mlb-braves-dominic-smith-032926-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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