Former White Sox pitcher Octavio Dotel among dozens killed in Dominican Republic club roof collapse

CHICAGO -- Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Octavio Dotel was among 79 people killed in the Dominican Republic early Tuesday, when the roof of an iconic nightclub collapsed.

The former Major League Baseball journeyman pitcher played 15 seasons for 13 teams, appearing in 134 games for the Sox in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

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The collapse occurred around 1 a.m. during a merengue concert at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, which drew athletes, politicians and others.

At least 155 people were injured. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the roof to collapse.

The Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic posted on X that Dotel died.

Dotel was pulled from the rubble about six hours after the collapse and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, emergency officials said.

Dotel, 51, started his major league career in 1999 with the Mets.

He logged 36 saves for the Houston Astros and the Athletics in 2004.

In 2011, he helped the St. Louis Cardinals win a World Series.

During his 15 years in the majors, Dotel recorded 109 saves and logged a 3.78 ERA.

Nelsy Cruz, the governor of the northwestern province of Montecristi and sister of seven-time MLB All-Star Nelson Cruz, was also killed in the collapse.

Crews are continuing to search for potential survivors in the rubble.

"We presume that many of them are still alive, and that is why the authorities here will not give up until not a single person remains under the rubble," said Juan Manual Méndez, director of the Center of Emergency Operations.

The cause of the collapse is still being investigated.

The MLB issued a statement, saying, "We are shocked and saddened by the sudden and tragic death of former Major League pitcher Octavio Dotel.

Dotel appeared in 758 games for 13 teams over his 15-year career, including parts of five seasons with the Houston Astros from 2000-2004. On June 11, 2003, he was one of six Astros pitchers who combined to throw a no-hitter against the Yankees in New York.

Dotel helped the St. Louis Cardinals to the 2011 World Series championship, going 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 appearances in the Postseason run.

He saved 109 games, with a career-high 36 in 2004.

Dotel's 13 teams are tied with Rich Hill for the 2nd-most in MLB history, trailing only Edwin Jackson's 14.

Dotel was 51 years old."

Dotel's former teammate Mark Buehrle issued a statement, saying, "The first thing that comes to mind when I think of him is that he always came to the ballpark with a smile on his face. He was a great teammate and great clubhouse guy, but also a really good pitcher who was a big part of our bullpen."

José Contreras, another former teammate, says, "When I received the news of Dotel's tragic death my heart stopped for a moment and broke into pieces. To talk about Dotel is to talk about happiness and joy because he was the happiest person I've ever known. We have lost a great human being.

When we were playing together, if I had a bad day the only thing I had to do was to go where he was and my day would immediately change. But I was not the only one, everybody around him would say the same thing.

This is a very difficult news, I want to express my sincere condolences to his family."

AJ Pierzynski, who also played with Dotel, issued a statement, saying, "Everybody who came across Octavio is incredibly shocked and saddened to hear the news. It's really difficult to process. He was a great teammate and better person, one of the funnier guys I've been around in baseball. But when it was his turn to pitch, he was a fierce competitor who always wanted the baseball. Just a very sad day."

The Associated Press and ABC7 Chicago's Cate Cauguiran contributed to this report.