Venezuela continues to be a dangerous place for baseball players and their families. It’s not a well kept secret that the South American nation has dealt with its fair share of violence. And now, the New York Yankees are finding this out first-hand.
Shortstop prospect Thairo Estrada was shot in the hip in his home nation back in January during a robbery gone wrong. ESPN has more details on the incident.
“New York Yankees minor league infielder Thairo Estrada was shot in the right hip in late January during a robbery attempt outside of a restaurant in Bejuma, Venezuela. He’s in big league camp and doing well, although limited to upper-body work at the moment,” the report read.
Estrada enters the year as the Yankees’ 13th-best prospect. He spent last season between Single-A ball and high Single-A. While the infielder is expected to make a speedy recovery, the situation itself is about as scary as it gets.
“Estrada said that even though he heard the gun go off, he didn’t think he’d been shot until he later noticed a small hole in his upper thigh and hip area. He had surgery and spent three days in the hospital, although the bullet remains lodged in his hip,” ESPN noted.
There’s currently no timetable for Estrada’s full return to baseball activities. We’re just happy that he’s back in the states and in good spirits.