Cincinnati Reds slugger Eugenio Suarez became a United States citizen this week, subsequently marking his return to the field with a significant home run.
Suarez, 35, missed two games to take the U.S. naturalization test, which he passed. Upon his return to the ballpark on Friday, his teammates surprised him by changing his walkup song to "God Bless The USA." In his first game back, Suarez hit a three-run home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Venezuelan native has had a notable August, hitting six home runs and driving in 20 runs with an .852 OPS. This performance followed a period where he was placed on waivers by the Reds earlier in the month but was not claimed by another team. He has since re-entered the Reds' lineup.
On the season, Suarez is batting .207 with 21 home runs, placing him third on the team in home runs. Over his 13-year Major League Baseball career, he has accumulated 346 career home runs across stints with the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, and two periods with the Cincinnati Reds.