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Former Major League Baseball pitcher Yoervis Medina has died at the age of 37.
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The Seattle Mariners, Medina’s first big-league team, announced the news Friday on X, writing, “We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Mariners pitcher Yoervis Medina. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
According to Shawn Garrett of KIRO 7 News, reports out of Venezuela indicate Medina suffered a suspected heart attack while driving, which led to a car crash outside a shopping center in Naguanagua, Carabobo.
Medina’s vehicle reportedly struck several parked cars before he was pronounced dead on arrival by emergency responders.
“According to Radio América in Venezuela, the incident occurred Thursday night outside the Via Veneto Shopping Center in Naguanagua, a municipality in the state of Carabobo,” KIRO 7 wrote.
A right-handed reliever, Medina made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2013 and spent three seasons in Seattle before being traded to the Chicago Cubs in 2015. Over 146 big-league appearances, he posted a 10-9 record with a 3.08 ERA and 147 strikeouts, establishing himself as a steady bullpen arm during his brief time in the majors.
After his MLB career, Medina continued to pitch overseas in Italy and the Czech Republic, where he remained active in the game.
Medina was known for his electric fastball and devastating curveball — a combination that helped him carve out a role in a competitive Mariners bullpen during the mid-2010s.