Texas Rangers prospect Bayron Lora injured in fatal car wreck in Dominican Republic
Texas Rangers prospect Bayron Lora suffered serious injuries Saturday in a car wreck in the Dominican Republic in which one of the passengers in the truck Lora reportedly was driving was killed.
The Rangers did not provide any details about the accident, which was first reported by MLB reporter Hector Gomez. Lora’s truck appears to have veered off a highway near a sharp turn in the road.
Lora, 18, and others in the truck were transported to a hospital in San Cristobal, which is near Lora’s hometown of Palenique. The capital, Santo Domingo, is to the northeast.
A source said that Lora was not traveling with any of his Rangers teammates.
“We are aware of the accident involving Bayron Lora and several other individuals today in the Dominican Republic,” the Rangers said in a statement. “We are working to gather more information at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals who were involved in this accident and with their families.”
The Rangers signed Lora, a power-hitting outfielder, as part of the 2019 international signing class for $3.9 million. He has yet to play a game as a professional, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic last season.
Lora came to the U.S. in the fall for the instructional league, but he was limited because of a cyst in his wrist that required surgery. Some in the organization thought he would play this summer in the Arizona League rather than play in the Dominican Summer League.
The Rangers love the power Lora produces. Some of their scouts believe that his power, on the 20-80 grading scale, rates as an 80, but they need to see it in games to confirm their belief.
Though he was limited during instructs, the Rangers were impressed with how well he took care of his massive frame during the pandemic shutdown while in the Dominican Republic.
Some prospects there were unable to find adequate facilities for workouts, but Lora kept weight off and gave the Rangers hope that he could play right field rather than be limited to designated hitter later in his career.
He doesn’t run well, but he has adequate arm strength and the inaccuracy of his throws can be easily fixed. He was rated by Baseball America as the Rangers’ No. 12 prospect and by mlb.com as their No. 20 prospect.
His future, though, is now in the air depending on his injuries from the wreck Saturday.
This story was originally published March 13, 2021 at 5:09 PM.
