Former MLB player’s wife killed in Venezuela earthquakes

The wife of former MLB outfielder Gorkys Hernández was killed in the terrifying double earthquakes that rocked Venezuela this week, he revealed Saturday.

“You are and always will be the queen of my life—the most beautiful, lovely, and precious woman in the world,” Hernández wrote of Deisy Tovar de Hernández in a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram.

“You were the one who always found a way to lift me up during hard times; you were and remain the most beautiful woman of my life. You will always be with me, at every hour and in every moment.”

“Fly high, my princess, my queen; may God hold you in His glory. Guide me to keep moving forward and to lift up our family,” said Hernández, who played from 2008 to 2018 in the majors, including stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox. 

“Love you—rest in peace, my girl. Give me strength, love of my life, because we had a mission, and I am here to fulfill it. You taught me to be strong through life’s challenges—which is never easy—but that is how you want me to be, and that is how it will be. My warrior, Deisy Maria Tovar De Hernandez.”

Deisy, 36, was among several family members of players on the La Guaira Delfines who were inside the Hotel Eduards while the team was getting ready to play the Aragua Tigres at the beachfront Estadio Forum de La Guaira in Macuto, La Guaira. 

Hernández and his teammates rushed to the hotel in search of their loved ones after the game was suspended following the back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that rattled the country.

Photos showed former Los Angeles Angels prospect Luis Viloria staring at the hotel rubble while Hernández was spotted sitting in front of the hotel fence as he stared at his cell phone.

Hernández married Deisy in December 2025. Deisy leaves behind a daughter, Vittoria Vásquez, from a previous relationship.

On Friday night, Vásquez revealed on Instagram Stories that trapped victims were heard hollering to be pulled from the Hotel Eduards rubble.

“As of 4:00 p.m. today, screams can still be heard from the Hotel Eduard,” the message indicated. “There are people still alive inside. Help is needed to move the rubble – heavy machinery is required.”

Local sports broadcaster Raúl Zambrano announced on X on Saturday that rescue teams were still searching for the wife and daughter of former major leaguer and Delfines coach, Eliézer Alfonzo.