Former Yankees prospect Jesús Montero dies after Valencia crash

Jesús Montero, a Venezuelan-born former major league catcher and once top prospect in the New York Yankees system, has died at 35 after suffering severe injuries in a traffic accident in Valencia, Venezuela, earlier this month, the Yankees said Sunday. Local reports say Montero was involved in a motorcycle crash on October 5, was hospitalized at Dr. Enrique Tejera Hospital and spent days in intensive care before succumbing to multiple bone fractures and internal trauma.

Family details have not been released. A GoFundMe page created to help cover medical expenses said Montero had been placed in an induced coma following the collision. Teams in Venezuela and former teammates posted condolences following the announcement.

Montero signed with the Yankees as an international amateur free agent in 2006 and received a reported $1.6 million signing bonus. He rose rapidly through New York’s minor league system on the strength of his power hitting and entered 2010 as one of baseball’s highest-rated prospects. After a 2010 Triple-A season in which he hit 21 home runs and posted a strong on-base plus slugging, he made his major league debut on September 1, 2011, at Fenway Park.