The St. Louis Cardinals outfielder died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, officials said.
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cliff Lee
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Oscar Taveras died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic, officials confirmed Sunday.
He was in his native country to play winter ball and was due to head back to Jupiter, Fla., for the Cardinals' spring training in January.
He was reportedly driving at the time of the accident from Sosua to Puerto Plata. Taveras' girlfriend also died in the crash, Agent Brian Mejia said.
"I spoke to the mayor of Sosua, Ylana Newman ... and she confirmed to us that Taveras lost control of his vehicle and went off the road," police spokesman Jacobo Mateo Moquete told The Associated Press.
Taveras points skyward after scoring on a solo home run in the seventh inning during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. The Cardinals beat the Giants 5-4 to even the best-of-seven series at a game apiece.
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cliff Lee
The 22-year-old made his major league debut this year. He was a promising rookie and hit .239 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 80 games.
"I think he can be a star," manager Mike Matheny said last Monday at his season-ending press conference. "He proved that at times. Right to the end, he was very, very much into the competition. Yes, he wanted to be the guy out there every day. You see some things offensively that absolutely excite you."