Cardinals OF Oscar Taveras Killed In Car Accident
PUERTO PLATA (CBSLA.com) — Cardinals outfield prospect Oscar Taveras has died after being involved in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.
Taveras, 22, and his girlfriend were both killed in the accident in Puerto Plata, according to ESPN Deportes.
Taveras signed with St. Louis in 2008 before playing in the Dominican Summer League, where he hit .265 with one home run and 42 RBI.
The Canadian-Dominican worked his way up through the farm system, and increased his numbers to .386 with 8 homers and 62 RBI in low-A Quad Cities.
He earned the Midwest League batting title with the league's highest average since 1956.
Taveras was ranked as St. Louis' top prospect entering the 2013 season, and number three overall.
A sad day for the baseball family. Our prayers for the Taveras family. http://t.co/vWIwxLH9Q9
— Yasiel Puig (@YasielPuig) October 27, 2014
In November, 2013, Taveras was added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster, but he ultimately struggled with injuries.
After batting .325 in May 2014, he received a call-up to the Majors, when he homered in his debut. This made him the youngest ball player to hit a homer in a Cardinals debut since 1936.
The promising young ball player managed a .239 average with three home runs and 22 RBIs through 80 games in the Majors in 2014.
News of the car accident broke during Game 5 of the World Series. A notice was mentioned prior to the top of the fourth inning.
Commissioner Bud Selig released a statement Sunday evening, saying in part, "All of us throughout Major League Baseball are in mourning this evening."
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