Former top Mariners prospect Jesús Montero has reportedly been hospitalized in Venezuela following a serious motorcycle accident, according to multiple reports emerging from the country.
Early information from Venezuelan media indicates that the former major leaguer was struck by a pickup truck while riding his motorcycle sometime over the weekend. Specific details surrounding the crash remain limited, but the situation has been described as critical, and Montero is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital near Valencia, Venezuela.
Montero, who will celebrate his 36th birthday in late November, was once one of baseball’s most highly regarded prospects. He made his Major League debut at age 21 with the New York Yankees late in the 2011 season, showcasing the hitting potential that made him a cornerstone of their farm system.
That same promise led to one of the more memorable trades of the early 2010s, when the Yankees sent Montero and pitcher Héctor Noesí to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Michael Pineda and José Campos. The deal was billed as a swap of two budding stars — Pineda with his electric fastball, and Montero with his powerful right-handed bat.
In his rookie season with Seattle in 2012, Montero showed flashes of the offensive talent scouts once raved about. Playing primarily as a designated hitter and part-time catcher, he posted a solid .260 batting average, hitting 15 home runs, 20 doubles, and driving in 62 runs across 135 games. Many viewed it as the beginning of a long and productive MLB career.
Unfortunately, that promising start quickly unraveled. Montero’s defensive struggles behind the plate became evident the following year, and he eventually lost his catching role to rookie Mike Zunino. He was reassigned to Triple-A Tacoma to learn first base but suffered a knee injury and later received a 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
The lowest moment of Montero’s career came in 2014, when he became embroiled in a bizarre altercation while on a rehab assignment with Single-A Everett. During a game in Boise, Idaho, Mariners cross-checker Butch Baccala reportedly heckled Montero from the stands and had an ice cream sandwich delivered to the dugout as a taunt. Enraged, Montero confronted Baccala in the stands, leading to disciplinary action. Montero was suspended for the remainder of the season, while Baccala’s contract was later not renewed.
To his credit, Montero attempted to rebuild his career in 2015, reporting to camp in improved physical shape. He made brief appearances in the majors that season — just 38 games — but struggled to recapture his early success. The Mariners designated him for assignment before the 2016 season, effectively ending his MLB career.
Once seen as a can’t-miss star, Montero’s professional journey became a cautionary tale about unmet expectations and off-field challenges. Now, nearly a decade removed from his last big league appearance, he faces perhaps the toughest fight of his life — a battle for his recovery following a devastating motorcycle accident in his home country.
