Death of Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez ruled a suicide

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The death of Tampa Bay Rays bullpen catcher Jean Ramirez near his home in Fort Worth, Texas, has been ruled a suicide.

The Tarrant County medical examiner's office released the finding on Thursday, three days after the 28-year-old's body was found.

The Ramirez family released a statement through the Rays, thanking the team for its support.

'œThe loss of our son has been the most excruciating experience we have lived. Unfortunately, we sometimes don't see the signs. Struggling in silence is not ok,'ť the family said in the statement.

'œIt is our commitment to honor our son's life by helping other families,'ť the family added. 'œNo parent should have to endure the loss of their child.'ť

The Rays announced the death in a Twitter post last Tuesday but did not release details. The Tampa Bay Times reported the body was found Monday in a field near the family home.

Ramirez, a native of Puerto Rico who attended high school in Fort Worth, was a 28th-round draft pick out of Illinois State in 2016. He played three years in Tampa Bay's minor league system before beginning a three-season stint as a bullpen catcher with the major league team in 2019.

'œWe are very grateful to the Tampa Bay Rays organization, whom we consider our family, for their love and support,'ť the family said. 'œOur son felt loved by all of you.'ť

Manager Kevin Cash paid tribute to Ramirez in a statement released by the Rays on Tuesday.

'œHe brought so much passion and energy each day to our clubhouse and bullpen, and his love for the Rays and baseball was evident to all who interacted with him,'ť Cash said.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports