Wife Of Padres 3B Yangervis Solarte Dies At 31 After Battle With Cancer

The San Diego Padres suffered a stinging, 8-0 road loss to the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, but that day was marked by an even more tragic event for the Padres.

Wife Of Padres 3B Yangervis Solarte Dies At 31 After Battle With Cancer

After the loss, manager Andy Green fought back tears while announcing that Yuliette Solarte, the wife of third baseman Yangervis Solarte, had died at age 31 following a long battle with cancer.

Yangervis Solarte was scratched from Friday’s game, which the Rockies won 8-7, and flew to Florida to be with his three daughters and his wife in her last few hours.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan infielder took to Twitter on Saturday night to express gratitude for all the love and support he has received.

“Simply thank you for all your support. The truth is I have no word to describe this. We had a tough year but I know that she fought,” Solarte tweeted in Spanish.

“What his family is going through, our thoughts and prayers are with him,” Green said of Solarte’s absence on Friday. “He’s going through stuff that’s more important than baseball at this point.”

Solarte will be out indefinitely, but has told the Padres he would like to return before the end of the season.

The third baseman also posted a photo of his late wife on Instagram Saturday night, along with a caption that read: “It’s so difficult to realize you’ll no longer be by my side for everything in life. But the one thing I do know is that you showed me how to see life from a different point of view, and I want you to know that wherever you are, I will always love you. I love you, may God watch over you, just as I know you will watch over us. I love you, Yuliette Pimentel.”

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Solarte has already informed the team he would like to bring his daughters to San Diego and rejoin the team before the end of the season. The veteran has been performing well for the team lately. In 101 games, he’s hitting .284 with a career-high 15 home runs.

“He’s had a heck of a year,” Green said of Solarte. “With what he’s been through at home, his ability to still perform on a baseball field has honestly been astounding to me.”

Solarte also tweeted a photo of him, his wife and three daughters, with an accompanying message saying: “Starting a family is the most beautiful thing there is. When it is destroyed in this way, it’s hard, but I know you will be in peace.”

The Padres (62-87, 5th in NL West) will next host the Arizona Diamondbacks (63-86, 4th in NL West) on Monday night, in the first of a three-game series.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: Yangervis Solarte #26 of the San Diego Padres at bat in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 12, 2016 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)