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

— -- Yordano Ventura, a hard-throwing right-hander for the Kansas City Royals, was killed in a car accident 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 the accident occurred in the town of Juan Adrian.

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 Tavares who was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic in 2014 at the age of 22. Days after Tavares' 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.

It was the second straight season Ventura was suspended as he drew a seven-game ban in 2015 after an altercation with the White Sox.