The Houston Astros announced earlier today that 20-year-old prospect Jose Rosario was killed in a motorcycle accident on Sunday night in his native Dominican Republic. The MLB will mourn the loss of a Dominican professional for the second straight year.
Here are the official statements from the Astros:
"It is with a heavy heart that we inform the Astros community of the passing of minor league pitcher Jose Rosario, who died last night in his native Dominican Republic," said Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow. "Our thoughts go out to Jose's family, friends and many teammates."
"Jose was a beloved member of the Astros Latin American program," added Astros director of international Oz Ocampo. "He will be remembered as a long, lanky-framed pitcher with tremendous ability, an outgoing personality and an ever-positive disposition. He was a true student of the game and was constantly looking to learn and improve his abilities. He was also a supportive teammate, as he made it a point to encourage his fellow Astros and deliver that message with a smile on his face. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Rosario family."
The team also released the statements on Twitter.
Houston signed Rosario as an international free agent back in December of 2013 when the youngster was just 18 years old. He began his professional baseball career with the Astros during the 2014 season when he pitched 16 games in the Dominican Summer League, going 2-4 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 47-1/3 innings.
In 2015, Rosario, who was primarily used as a reliever, split time between the Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League. He finished 4-6 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 51 strikeouts in 18 games (57-1/3 innings) between the two leagues.
Rosario's passing marks the second death of a Dominican player in a little over a year. In October of 2014, St. Louis Cardinals prospect Oscar Taveras was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Rosario family during this sad time.
