ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — The Asheville Tourists are mourning the death of former pitching prospect Ronny Garcia, 24, who reportedly died in a traffic accident in the Dominican Republic.

The Houston Astros confirmed his death in a social media posting on X, saying “We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Astros prospect, Ronny Garcia. Our condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Yahoo Sports reported that Garcia and his father both died in an accident involving two motorcycles in his home town of Samaná, Dominican Republic.

Via its Facebook page, the Asheville tourists said they were saddened by the passing, recalling how Garcia pitched for the team during the 2023 season. “Our condolences go out to his family and friends,” they said.

After six years in the Astros’ farm system, Garcia signed earlier this year to pitch for the York Revolution in York, Pa. In announcing the signing, the team spoke of his time in the Astros system, including three seasons with Dominican Summer League affiliates, time in the Florida Complex League, the Class A Fayetteville Woodpeckers and then his time in Asheville last season.

With Asheville, the 6-foot-3 right-hander was used as a reliever, striking out 40 batters in 34.2 innings, a 3.38 Earned Run Average, two wins, two losses and two saves, according to Minor League Baseball statistics.

“Revs” manager Rick Forney called Garcia “an intriguing young pitcher,” citing his career statistics in Asheville and elsewhere.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 22.