Jairo Castillo, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died at age 31 of coronavirus complications.
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According to MLB, he resided in his home country the Dominican Republic and worked professionally as an international crosschecker. Aside from the Dodgers, Castillo also worked as an international scout for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Milwaukee Brewers before joining the Dodgers.
He worked with the Brewers as a supervisor covering Central America for three years. As a scout for the team, he recruited and signed Colombian infielder Branlyn Jaraba and right-handed pitching prospect Victor Castaneda out of Mexico in 2017.
A GoFundMe established for Castillo shared hie is survived by a wife and two young sons. The campaign has a $10,000 goal, which will be directed to his family.
“Jairo Castillo Montero was well-known and beloved in international baseball circles, not only in his home country of the Dominican Republic but among Latin American baseball abroad,” the page said.
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Many of Castillo’s peers shared their condolences following his death.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of Jairo Castillo, who recently passed away in the Dominican Republic,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, according to MLB. “Tragically, Jairo’s promising baseball career was just getting started and his death will be felt deeply by everyone who crossed paths with him. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers are mourning Castillo and Lon Joyce, a former scout in the southeastern United States for the Dodgers.
“[Jairo] was a really gregarious guy,” said Brewers director of international scouting Mike Groopman, per MLB. “A really good scout. Passionate about baseball. He was a bright personality and always brought a smile to your day. He was a joy to be around.”
According to Dominican Today, The Ministry of Public Health reported Nov. 5, the total number of infections at a national level was 28,981 active cases of COVID-19, mostly asymptomatic. In the past week, the nation recorded 5,002 new positives cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that “Travelers should avoid all travel to the Dominican Republic,” citing very high levels of coronavirus infections.
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