Octavio Dotel, Nelson Cruz’s sister among dozens dead in nightclub collapse

The MLB season is underway, but a recent tragedy in the Dominican Republic has shaken the community. Former relief pitcher Octavio Dotel and Nelsy Cruz, the sister of Nelson Cruz, were both killed after a nightclub roof collapsed Monday night. Martín Adames Alcántara and Dánica Coto from The Associated Press have the latest on the tragedy impacting the MLB community and beyond.

“At least 58 people died and 160 others were injured in the Dominican capital early Tuesday when the roof collapsed at an iconic nightclub where politicians, athletes and others were attending a merengue concert, authorities said,” The AP reported.

“Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star Nelson Cruz, was among the victims. 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,” they wrote.

“The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic posted on X that MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel died. Officials had earlier rescued Dotel from the debris and transported him to a hospital.”

Dotel pitched for 15 seasons with 13 teams throughout his career. He spent one year with the New York Mets to start his career before moving to the Houston Astros. He spent five years there before bouncing around for the rest of his career. Dotel posted a 3.78 ERA in 951 innings across his MLB career.

While Nelson Cruz is best known for his MLB career, his sister Nelsy Cruz was an accomplished politician. She was the governor of a Dominican Republic province and was at a concert at the club when the roof collapsed. More is to come from this incident that has greatly impacted the MLB community.