Jessica Mendoza Misses Sunday Night Baseball Broadcast After Car Accident
ESPN baseball and softball analyst Jessica Mendoza was in a car accident Friday and could not make the network's Sunday Night Baseball Giants-Phillies broadcast in San Francisco, as first reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
According to Nightengale, Mendoza’s car was rear-ended at full speed on a Southern Cal freeway, but she'll likely will return to call next Sunday's MLB Little League Classic between the Cubs and Pirates in Williamsport, Pa.
ESPN communications director Ben Cafardo tweeted about the incident, wishing Mendoza the best.
Along with Mendoza, the broadcast team includes veteran play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian, analyst Alex Rodriguez and longtime reporter Buster Olney. This week, Olney was on vacation, leaving Vasgersian and Rodriguez to address Mendoza's absence. "We welcome you inside the broadcast booth," Vasgersian said on the air. "With Alex Rodriguez, I’m Matt Vasgersian. Jessica Mendoza not with us today, she was involved in a minor auto accident over the weekend. She’s feeling a lot better, and we’ll see her again next weekend. Buster Olney’s on vacation, so it’s just you and me today."
Mendoza, a two-time Olympic softball medalist, signed a multi-year extension with the ESPN last December. She made history in 2015 by becoming the first woman to serve as a national television analyst for MLB games.
Mendoza was named to the Mets front office in March, where she serves as a baseball operations advisor for the club. Her focus is on player evaluation, roster construction, technological advancement and health and performance.
