Mariners minor league pitcher Victor Sanchez has reportedly died of injuries suffered in a February accident in his native Venezuela.
Jose Grasso of FinanzasDigital.com reported the news Saturday night. The Mariners confirmed Sanchez's death with a statement from executive vice president and general manager Jack Zduriencik.
MORE: Mariners reliever Rollins suspended | Mariners bold predictions | MLB manager rankings
"The Seattle Mariners are sad to learn of the passing of Victor Sanchez," Zduriencik said. "Victor was a tremendous young man and a wonderful teammate. He was a very talented player who was close to fulfilling his promise as a Major Leaguer.
"He will be missed by his teammates, and the coaches and staff at the Mariners. The entire Mariners organization sends our deepest condolences to his family during this difficult time."
Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez offered his condolences upon hearing the news.
The caption translates to "My most heartfelt condolences to the Sanchez family. May God rest his holy glory and all his family fill you with much strength to overcome so sad and great loss .. #QEPD."
Sanchez, 20, suffered serious injuries when he was struck by a boat propeller off the coast of Carupano, Venezuela. He underwent craniectomy surgery to treat a double skull fracture and a hematoma, which caused a stroke.
He had reportedly showed signs of improvement following the surgery, according to the Seattle Times, but unexpectedly lapsed into a coma.
Sanchez, who earned a $2.5 million bonus when he signed with the Mariners as a free agent in 2011, spent three years in Seattle’s minor league system. He advanced to the team’s Double-A affiliate in Jackson, Tennessee in 2014, where he logged a 97/34 K/BB ratio and 4.19 ERA in 124.2 innings.
Zduriencik told the Seattle Times in February he considered Sanchez one of the organization’s top prospects, and expected him to pitch in Class AAA during the 2015 season.
"We thought for sure he was going to be a major-league pitcher," Zduriencik said. "All the arrows were pointed in the right direction. He was on his way to a nice big-league career."