Ex-MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel among at least 221 dead after roof collapse at Dominican club

Former major league pitcher Octavio Dotel  was among the victims of a mass casualty event at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic early Tuesday.

Dotel reportedly was declared dead at an area hospital after being removed from the wreckage of a roof collapse at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo that killed at least 221 people and injured hundreds more.

Officials said 189 people have been rescued alive from the rubble. More than 200 were injured, with 24 of them still hospitalized, including eight in critical condition.

MLB reporter Mike Rodriguez, who is from the Dominican Republic, was first to report the apparent rescue of Dotel and others. He later reported Dotel died in transport to receive medical treatment.

"Tragic event: After the authorities saved him alive from the rubble of the nightclub, former MLB player and World Series champion Octavio Dotel has been declared dead at the hospital.

"A great human being and lovely person, much strength to his family. We, your friends, will miss you very much," Rodriguez reported Tuesday afternoon.

Hall of Fame inductee David Ortiz, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, told reporters that the number of people who attended Dotel's wake spoke volumes.

"He was a person whom everyone loved. It's very hard, very hard, truly," said Ortiz, who recalled how he spoke with Dotel almost every day. "He was very funny. Octavio was a guy who was a fighter."

Among the dead was Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time MLB all-star slugger Nelson Cruz.

She had called President Luis Abinader at 12:49 a.m. saying she was trapped and that the roof had collapsed, First Lady Raquel Abraje told reporters. Officials said Cruz died later at the hospital.

"We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub," Abinader said. "All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families."

Hundreds gathered at nightclub

Multiple media outlets reported earlier Tuesday that Dotel was one of at least eight people recovered in the early hours of rescue work Tuesday following the collapse of a roof at an event where hundreds gathered to watch a performance by singer Rubby Perez.

Rodriguez had reported earlier Tuesday that Dotel "has some injuries, but his condition is stable, and he is expected to recover soon."

The cause of the roof collapse was not immediately known.

Juan Manuel Mendez, director of the Center for Emergency Operation in the Dominican Republic, said the search for survivors trapped in the rubble was ongoing.

"We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under that rubble," Mendez said

Dotel signed with the New York Mets in 1993 as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut in 1999. A starter early in his career, he turned into a reliable and at times dominant reliever while appearing in 758 games from 1999-2013.

When he took the mound for the Detroit Tigers on April 7, 2012, he set the record playing for the most major league teams at 13. Edwin Jackson broke the record in 2019 when he pitched for his 14th team.

The Mets held a moment of silence for Dotel before their game Tuesday against Miami, and a Dominican flag was shown on the video scoreboard.

2011 World Series champion

Dotel, 51, was a Santo Domingo native who pitched with 13 teams in a career that spanned from 1999-2013. He had a career record of 59-50, an earned-run average of 3.78 and 109 saves in 758 games (34 starts).

He won the 2011 World Series as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Dotel's best years were with the Houston Astros in the early 2000s. He was a setup man for star closer Billy Wagner, making 302 appearances and posting a 3.25 ERA in four-plus seasons. He was the fifth of six pitchers to combine on a no-hitter against the New York Yankees in 2003. The next year, he was part of the three-way trade that brought Carlos Beltran to the Astros.

The Cardinals acquired him from Toronto at the 2011 trade deadline. He appeared in 12 post-season games, including five in the World Series against Texas.

In 2013, he pitched on the Dominican Republic team that won the World Baseball Classic with an 8-0 record.

Dotel finished his major league career with 1,143 strikeouts in 951 innings, a magnificent rate of 10.8 per nine innings.

In 2019, Dotel and ex-major leaguer Luis Castillo were among 18 people taken into custody during a large U.S. and Dominican law enforcement operation against drug trafficking and money laundering. Dotel and Castillo were released when a Dominican magistrate judge found insufficient evidence to connect them to the operation.