Tributes have been paid to a former MLB star who was killed in a motorcycle crash at age 35.
Jesús Montero died from severe injuries when his bike hit a pickup truck in his home country Valencia, Venezuela, earlier this month. He was put into an induced coma and died at Valencia City Hospital over the weekend. The Yankees - the team he played for in the minor leagues - paid tribute Sunday after his passing.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jesús Montero. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones,” a spokesperson for the team said.
Montero had been described as the best Venezuelan hitting prospect since future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cabrera when he signed as an international free agent in 2006 for $1.6 million.
He spent four years in the minors with New York before his major league debut in September 2011 in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
However, Montero’s time with the Yankees did not last. After playing 18 regular season games and one playoff game in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners where he logged 208 games and 796 plate appearances.
From 2013, Montero suffered a torn left meniscus while also being suspended for 50 games because of his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal for performance enhancing drugs.
Montero’s last major league season was in 2015. He then played for the Toronto Blue Jays and later the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league in 2017 before playing for Mexico in Venezuela. His finished with a .253 batting average, 28 home runs, 104 RBI and 204 hits in his career.
Montero is survived by his two children Loren Alejandra, 11, and Jesus Alejandro, 10, who he had with his ex-wife Taneth Gimenez.
In a post to her Instagram, Gimenez posted photos of Montero with their children with captions hoping he rested in peace.
“I’ll keep the good memories tattooed on my soul,” she wrote.
The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League also put out a tribute to Montero, reflecting on his talent for the game.
“A powerful bat, an unforgettable presence, a heart that loved this game,” they said in a statement in Spanish.
