Heartbreaking Final Call: Wife of Former MLB Star Gorkys Hernández Dies in Venezuela Earthquake Just Minutes After Hanging Up
The wife of former MLB outfielder Gorkys Hernández was killed in the devastating double earthquakes that struck Venezuela this week, he revealed on Saturday.
“You are and always will be the queen of my life—the most beautiful, loving, and precious woman in the world,” Hernández wrote in a heartbreaking Instagram tribute to his wife, Deisy Tovar de Hernández.
“You were the one who always found a way to lift me up during the hardest times. You were, and always will be, the most beautiful woman in my life. You will remain with me every hour of every day.”
“Fly high, my princess, my queen. May God hold you in His glory. Guide me as I continue moving forward and caring for our family,” wrote Hernández, who played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2018, including stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox.
“I love you. Rest in peace, my girl. Give me strength, my love, because we had a mission, and I am here to fulfill it. You taught me to stay strong through life’s challenges, even when it was never easy. That is how you wanted me to be, and that is how I will remain. My warrior, Deisy Maria Tovar De Hernandez.”
Deisy, 36, was among several family members of La Guaira Delfines players staying at the Hotel Eduards while the team prepared to face 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 shook the country.
Photos showed former Los Angeles Angels prospect Luis Viloria staring at the hotel’s rubble, while Hernández was seen sitting outside the hotel fence, looking down at his cellphone.
Hernández married Deisy in December 2025. She is survived by her daughter, Vittoria Vásquez, from a previous relationship.
On Friday night, Vásquez wrote on Instagram Stories that trapped victims could still be heard calling for help beneath the rubble of Hotel Eduards.
“As of 4:00 p.m. today, screams can still be heard from the Hotel Eduards,” the message read. “There are still people alive inside. Help is urgently needed to remove the rubble—heavy machinery is required.”
Local sports broadcaster Raúl Zambrano reported on X on Saturday that rescue teams were still searching for the wife and daughter of former major leaguer and Delfines coach Eliézer Alfonzo.
