Former top baseball talent Jesús Montero has died after a traffic accident.
The 35-year-old, who was brought into the US professional league MLB by the New York Yankees in 2011, died of serious injuries in his home country of Venezuela, the Yankees said. Montero had collided with a truck on his motorcycle and never woke up from his coma.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jesús Montero. Our condolences go out to his family and loved ones,” the New York team said in a statement.
Montero was once considered a great baseball prospect and was signed by the Yankees as a 17-year-old. Five years later he made his debut in the MLB and initially impressed with strong performances for the Yankees and the Seattle Mariners.
But after injuries and a doping ban, his career got derailed. He changed employers several times, but never made it back to the biggest stage in his sport. In total, he played 226 games in the MLB over five seasons, most recently playing in Venezuela.