Jun 27, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view a Cleveland Guardians hat and glove on the dugout railing before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians bullpen pitcher injured in car crash

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Cade Cracas | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 4:39 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians received gut-wrenching news.

On Sunday, Jan. 11, a member of the Guardians' minor league system, Carlos Hernández, was involved in a car accident in the early morning hours. It has been confirmed that he did suffer injuries in the crash, but is stable and responsive.

The accident occurred on a road headed towards San Felix in Bolivar, a state in eastern Venezuela.

According to reports confirmed by Cleveland.com, Hernández and his cousin were involved in the accident, with the 28-year-old pitcher suffering fractures to both his left arm and right leg. When seeing the pictures of the two's car, it's incredible that he left with just that few amount of injuries.

ATENCIÓN: Carlos Hernández, lanzador de #Leones , tuvo un accidente de tránsito en Puerto Ordaz

Quedó atrapado en su vehículo hasta que pudieron sacarlo y llevarlo a una Clínica. Está herido, pero estable y consciente.

El suceso ocurrió entre las 8:30 y 8:50 AM. pic.twitter.com/0idNPiGeZq
— Raúl Zambrano Cabello (@RaulZambrano7) January 11, 2026

"Guardians officials were unable to comment on the matter Sunday afternoon, citing privacy concerns and potential HIPAA restrictions," wrote Cleveland.com.

His time with the Guardians

Hernández has been a member of the organization for just one season, tossing in five outings out of the bullpen for the team in 2025. He was signed to fill a bullpen void that opened due to Emmanuel Clase's suspension amid an illegal gambling investigation.

He was able to be pretty effective, pitching in seven innings of action, posting an ERA of 3.86 as one of the better right-handed arms Cleveland deployed in late-game situations.

The Guardians were the third team that Hernandez joined this past season, with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies being the other two. Across the entire campaign, he tossed 43.2 innings for an ERA of 6.23 in major league ball and struck out 39 batters. In minor league ball, he pitched for the Columbus Clippers, throwing a 4.70 ERA across 7.2 innings en route to striking out nine batters.

The front office liked what they saw from him and wasn't willing to let him walk away. With his contract up, the Guardians negotiated to bring him back for another stint in The Land, and on Nov. 7, 2025, they re-signed him to a minor league deal.

Yes, it's not a spot on the major league roster, but he will have a chance to earn a trip up to Progressive Field. His contract also includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training.

However, after being involved in this newly-announced accident with just under two months until spring training is set to begin, his involvement is going to be up in the air.

The first priority of business is to get him healthy and then begin the rehabilitation process with the hope that he can return to baseball action in due time.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: