Dominican prospect has lots of fans with family in Dominican Republic

Like most Dominican prospects, Kelvin Herrera came to play baseball in the United States by himself. He left his family in the Dominican Republic, along with friends and his baseball family (fellow Dominican prospects and coaches).

All the while, at least in the case of Herrera, he has had his family back in the Dominican Republic supporting him. His mother says she received calls at all hours of the night every time he advanced up the organizational ladder. She was happy to take them.

His goal is to stay healthy and stay in the big leagues. It will be a tough task, as the Royals bullpen is very deep. Manager Ned Yost says Herrera "has a chance," and the Royals say they will not hesitate to move bullpen pitchers between the big leagues and AAA.

Herrera hopes to remain a part of the major league side and continue to make his family in the Dominican Republic proud. "My family is so proud of me," Herrera told MLB.com. "Every time I got closer to my goal, my mother would encourage me not to get complacent. She always said that you have to keep working hard to get the best out of yourself."

Dominican prospect Kelvin Herrera is from Tenares, Dominican Republic.

Dominican prospect Kelvin Herrera pitches for the Royals, by Keith Allison on Flickr