Twins Pitcher Fernando Rodney Leaves Game Early to Become U.S. Citizen

Twins pitcher Fernando Rodney left the game early Sunday, but it was for a good reason. He had to catch a flight to make an early Monday morning ceremony to get his U.S. citizenship.

Rodney pitched for two outs in the fifth against the Tampa Bay Rays before heading to the airport to catch a flight to Miami, Florida. The Dominican native had an early appointment on Monday morning to take the oath of allegiance to the U.S. and finally become a U.S. citizen, TMZ reported.

In the U.S. since the late nineties when he came to America to join the minor leagues, Rodney is now officially a citizen.

“After 19 years in this wonderful country today I am blessed to say that I am an official US Citizen,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Today I fly the American Flag but in my heart always hold my Dominican Flag,” Rodney wrote on Instagram.

“I want to thank all those who have been with me throughout the process and especially thank the @twins organizations for allowing me to catch my flight,” he said.

“Big thanks to the @tigers who made this dream possible 19 years ago.”

To add to Rodney’s joy, the Twins beat the Rays 11-7 on Sunday.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.