Inside The Dodgers

Former Dodgers Pitcher Tragically Dies in Traffic Accident: Reports

J.P. Hoornstra|
Apr 24, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Reyes Moronta (45) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Reyes Moronta (45) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports | Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

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Former Dodgers pitcher Reyes Moronta passed away Sunday, as reported by multiple outlets and confirmed by his most recent team, the Bravos de León of the Mexican League:

Moronta had been released just this past Thursday by tthe Bravos de León, which announced his death on their official Twitter/X account. So did the Mexican League itself:

A right-handed reliever, Moronta joined the Dodgers in March 2022, appearing in 22 games and pitching 23.2 innings with a 4.18 ERA. He struck out 27 batters while walking 10. He also pitched in 11 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City that season, posting a 2.70 ERA over 10 innings.

His stint with the Dodgers ended when he was claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in Aug. 2022. Moronta finished the season in Arizona, making an additional 17 appearances and pitching 14 innings.

Moronta signed with the Texas Rangers in spring training the following year, receiving a non-roster invitation to camp. He was released by the Rangers in March 2023. After a brief stint in Mexico, he returned to affiliated baseball with the Angels in May.

Moronta made his final major league appearance with the Angels in May 2023, ending his career with a 3.05 ERA and 202 strikeouts over 171.1 innings.

Hector Gomez reported that Moronta died on his way home Sunday. According to the Dominican news outlet El Pregonero, the accident occurred in the Quinigua neighborhood of the Santiago province in front of his father's home. Sunday was Father's Day in the Dominican Republic.

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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