Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Odalis Perez died at his home in the Dominican Republic on Thursday at the age of 43.
Perez, who made the NL All-Star team in 2002, was found dead by his brother at Odalis’ home. The attorney who shared the news said Odalis appeared to have fallen off a ladder.
“Around 7 p.m., his brother Cristian Perez arrived at the house and found Odalis lying in the patio,” attorney Walin Batista said. “We don’t know yet the cause of his death, but everything seems to indicate Odalis slipped down a ladder. This is a tragedy.”
Perez began his career with the Atlanta Braves in 1998. He was traded to the Dodgers along with Brian Jordan in 2002 for Gary Sheffield. Perez went 15-10 with a 3.00 ERA in his first season with the Dodgers, making the All-Star team. The southpaw was a cornerstone of the Dodgers’ rotation from 2002-2005 before they traded him to Kansas City. Perez spent two seasons with the Royals and then was with the Nats in 2008 before retiring.
Perez won 73 games and pitched 1,335 innings during his 10-season MLB career.
A few of Perez’s former teams shared tweets about him.
The Los Angeles Dodgers mourn the passing of former pitcher and 2002 All-Star Odalis Pérez. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/abX1cgUNNP
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 11, 2022
Odalis Pérez was our starting pitcher at our 1st game in Nats Park history.
Our hearts go out to his family and friends. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/r9Y8eJGwv5
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 11, 2022
Photo: chrisjnelson/wikimedia via cc by 3.0
