Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura, 25, killed in car crash

— -- Yordano Ventura, a hard-throwing right-hander for the Kansas City Royals, was killed in a car crash in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday, the team confirmed. He was 25.

A colonel in the Dominican Republic police told ESPN's Enrique Rojas that the crash occurred in the town of Juan Adrian.

"Our prayers right now are with Yordano's family as we mourn this young man's passing," ?Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a statement. "He was so young and so talented, full of youthful exuberance and always brought a smile to everyone he interacted with. We will get through this as an organization, but right now is a time to mourn and celebrate the life of Yordano."

Ventura has been with the Royals since 2013, posting a 38-31 career record with a 3.89 ERA.

Ventura was a friend of former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras, who was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic in 2014 at the age of 22. Days after Taveras' death, Ventura wore a cap with "RIP O.T #18" written on it for his Game 6 start of the World Series against the Giants. He threw seven shutout innings in a 10-0 win.

"From the minute that I found out about Oscar, I said this game was going to be dedicated to him," an emotional Ventura said then.

Ventura was suspended nine games this past season -- later reduced to eight games on appeal -- after he hit Orioles slugger Manny Machado in the back with a 99 mph fastball on June 7. Machado charged the mound and punched Ventura in the head as the benches emptied.

Ventura died on the same day that another player, former top prospect Andy Marte, was killed in a separate car crash in the Dominican Republic.

"We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Andy Marte and Yordano Ventura," read a statement from MLBPA executive director Tony Clark. "It's never easy to lost a member of our fraternity, and there are no words to describe the feeling of losing two young men in the prime of their lives. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, teammates and fans throughout the United States and Latin America."