Sports

Former MLB players Luis Valbuena, left, and Jose Castillo, were killed in a car crash in Venezuela. (G Fiume / Getty Images; Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

MLB World Mourns as 2 Recent Players Are Killed in Car Crash

By Ross Kelly December 7, 2018 at 8:56am

Former MLB players Luis Valbuena, 33, and Jose Castillo, 37, were killed in a car accident Thursday, according to a representative of their Venezuelan team.

Both natives of Venezuela, the two were playing for their home country’s winter league team, Cardenales de Lara. Another former MLB player, Carlos Rivero, was also involved in the accident but survived.

MLB announced the news in a tweet early on Friday morning.

We are saddened by the tragic news that Luis Valbuena and former major leaguer José Castillo have died in a car accident. pic.twitter.com/C3nILO00SE

— MLB (@MLB) December 7, 2018

Cardenales de Lara also released a statement that when translated reads: “We are living a horrible tragedy in the Cardinals of Lara. We lost our players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo in a traffic accident.”

The crash occurred after the players left University Stadium in Caracas after playing in a Venezuelan Professional Baseball League game.

Their vehicle reportedly collided with a rock that slid onto the road, which then caused the car to go to the opposite side of the road.

The players were in route to Barquisimeto, where they had a game Friday. Valbuena was leading the team in home runs and RBIs, while Castillo was third on the team in hits.

Valbuena played 11 seasons in the majors, with his last action coming this past season with the Angels. He also played for the Astros, Cubs, Indians and Mariners.

Nearly all of those teams acknowledged Valbuena’s death on Twitter early Friday morning including his most recent team, the Angels.

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former Angel Luis Valbuena and former MLB infielder José Castillo. Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones during this time of grief. pic.twitter.com/GxegOtJXuB

— Angels (@Angels) December 7, 2018

Castillo played in the big leagues from 2004 to 2008 with the Pirates, Giants and Astros. He was a top prospect coming out of Venezuela in the early 2000s, rated No. 4 by Baseball America.

After leaving MLB in 2008, Castillo played in Venezuela, Taiwan and Japan. At 37 years old, he was the oldest position player on the Cardenales de Lara team.

The deaths of Valbuena and Castillo are at least the second and third by former MLB players in Venezuela this year.

In January, Marcos Carvajal died in the country due to pneumonia. According to the Miami Herald, medical shortages in the socialist country were a big factor in Carvajal’s death at the age of 33.

Carvajal pitched for the Rockies in 2005 and the Marlins in 2007. He also pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League after leaving MLB.

Submit a Correction →