Multiple news outlets in Venezuela reported Sunday afternoon that the mother of Pirates catcher Elias Diaz has been rescued.
According to Panorama, a news outlet in the state of Zulia, Diaz's mother, Ana Soto, was rescued by CICPC, the nation's police agency, and four state police officers were arrested in connection with the crime. Soto, 72, was chatting with neighbors in front of her home in Maracaibo on Thursday, when four armed men abducted her.
Here's a photo of Soto and Diaz after the rescue on Sunday:
A friend from Venezuela sent me this picture of Pirates catcher Elias Diaz's mom after she was saved from her captors / Un amigo de Venezuela me envió esta foto de la madre de Elías Díaz después de ser liberada tras su secuestro... https://t.co/LJ98PldaIj pic.twitter.com/DERMInVacq
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) February 12, 2018
Diaz, 27, was reportedly in the United States preparing for spring training at the time of the kidnapping, 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.
