The mother of Pirates catcher Elias Diaz has been kidnapped in the city of San Francisco in Venezuela.
The kidnapping of Diaz's mother, Ana Soto, took place Thursday, and it occurred in a country where children are starving amid an economic collapse and political turmoil. Venezuelan journalist Mari Montes was the first to report the kidnapping.
"We are all shocked and deeply concerned for Elias' mother, as well as for Elias and his entire family," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement. "We have Elias' mom and Elias' entire family in our prayers. We are using all of the resources available at the Pirates and Major League Baseball to support Elias and his family during this incredibly difficult time. As we work with authorities on his mom's safe return, we will withhold further comment and ask that you please respect the family's need for privacy."
Diaz, 27, is in the United States preparing for spring training, as the Pirates' pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. next week. He is expected to finally have a full-time spot on the 25-man roster after experiencing a breakthrough behind the plate during the final weeks of last season.
He appeared in 64 games for the Pirates last season, batting .223 with one home run and 19 RBI, but his impact was far greater defensively, where he helped a young pitching staff excel during September. He was signed by former Latin American scouting director Rene Gayo and arrived in the United States in 2009.
Diaz reached Triple-A in 2014, but he was not able to make a significant impact in the major leagues until last season. A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Diaz spent the offseason in his home country, and he posted a video on Instagram of visiting a local hospital in Zulia — the state where his mother was reportedly kidnapped.
Diaz helped organize donation drives to bring supplies to the hospital. Children across the country are suffering from malnutrition and maternal mortality rates continue to arise, according a recent report by the New York Times.
Hospitals are short on supplies, including formula for infants, and food prices continue to rise in the country. Riots and protests have intensified because of the lack of affordable food. The Pirates were one of many teams in Major League Baseball to raise awareness of the crisis, beginning with Francisco Cervelli, who wrote, "S.O.S Venezuela," on his eye black.
Diaz, Cervelli, Jose Osuna and Felipe Rivero are among the organization's players from Venezuela. While Pirates players and staff members from Puerto Rico were able to organize hurricane relief efforts for their home country, such a move is more difficult in Venezuela, where government officials have reportedly intercepted food and supplies sent there from across the globe.
Rivero, who recently signed a four-year extension with the club, told reporters at PiratesFest in December that he wanted to organize some sort of relief effort, and that plan came to fruition in recent weeks. He organized a supply drive through social media and posted a photo on Instagram indicating he successfully sent baby formula to a hospital in his home country.
"There are a lot of kids dying right now," Rivero said. "There are a ton of needs there. ... There are a lot of kids dying. I don't know (if it's happening where) I lived, but 30 minutes away there are a lot of people dying. I want to talk to (Cervelli) to see if we can organize something. ... This is my country. It's all over the place, and the government isn't doing anything."