Indians reliever Lara has brain trauma, spine injury

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Doctors examining Cleveland Indians reliever Juan Lara found he had a spinal fracture, plus severe brain trauma from a weekend car accident.

Lara, who pitched in one game for Cleveland last season, was returning from a winter league game Saturday night in San Pedro de Macoris when the sports utility vehicle he was driving was hit by a motorcycle, killing both its rider and passenger.

“Juan’s condition is very fragile. In the last medical report we found that he has a severe brain trauma, and we also found a fracture in the spinal column, with the D2 [second vertebra] in an unstable condition,” hospital spokeswoman Dashira Martinez said.

Martinez said doctors have not determined whether there will be any paralysis.

“For the moment the doctors’ prognosis is reserved, which means we should give it time to see how it evolves before making reference to that possibility,” she said.

The 26-year-old Lara remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Lara, who was stopped at an intersection, was struck on the driver’s side and pinned inside the vehicle. The motorcycle’s rider and passenger were killed.

The Indians sent Lino Diaz, director of Latin American Operations, to the Dominican Republic to check on Lara.

“We’ll go to the hospital to see how he is, and we will talk with the doctors, the Dominicans as well as those from the Indians, to determine the path to take,” said Winston Llenas, the team’s representative in the Caribbean nation.

Lara, originally signed by the Indians in 1999, spent most of last season with Triple-A Buffalo. He was recalled from the minors on Sept. 4 and made his only appearance for the Indians two days later, working 11⁄3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels.