Oscar Taveras Dead; Cardinals Outfielder Killed in Car Accident

Oscar Taveras, an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, died on Sunday in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.

Through a text message, Taveras's agent, Brian Mejia, confirmed the news to the Washington Post. Mejia, however said that he does not have the complete details on Taveras' death, yet. He also claimed that the athlete's girlfriend also died.

The 22-year-old athlete has been very instrumental in the Cardinals' win versus the San Francisco Giants. 

In a statement provided by The New York Times, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said that they "simply can't believe" what happened to their player.

"I first met Oscar when he was 16 years old and will forever remember him as a wonderful young man who was a gifted athlete with an infectious love for life who lived every day to the fullest," Mozeliak added.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, for his part, said that the entire league is "mourning" the heartbreaking news of the accident.

"Oscar, a young member of the Baseball family, was full of promise and at the dawn of a wonderful career in our game, evident in his game-tying home run against the Giants exactly two weeks ago," Selig said, as quoted by the Washington Post.

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark also extended his condolences to Taveras, saying that they will always remember the young player.

"We are very saddened to learned of the news that a car accident has claimed the life of Oscar Taveras and his girlfriend in the Dominican Republic. Oscar had a very promising future, on and off the field, and this news is heartbreaking on many levels." He said, also via Washington Post. "It's never easy to lose a member of our fraternity, and to lose one so young is devastating news. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of both, as well as to the St. Louis Cardinals organization and Oscar's many fans in the United States and Dominican Republic," Clark added.

Taveras, according to The New York Times, received a No. 3 ranking in baseball. In 2012, he was able to make 23 homers and batted .321 in Class AA.

He joined the Cardinals early this year and played around 80 games and hitting .239, Washington Post added. His function in the team was very useful along with his fellow rookie Randal Grichuk who also provided the needed help for other team players.

Yahoo Sports said that a tribute was done in the Dominican Republic to honor the player's name. Cardinals fans also started a memorial for him outside the Busch Stadium in Missouri, the home of the Cardinals.