Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Starling Marte's wife died from a sudden heart attack on Monday while in a hospital awaiting surgery for a broken ankle. The MLB Network announced the death of Noelia and Starling, 31, confirmed the news in an emotional Instagram post.
"Today I go through the great pain of making public the unfortunate death of my wife Noelia, due to a heart attack," he captioned a photo of the couple at the Grand Canyon. "It is a moment of indescribable pain. On behalf of my family, I am grateful for the expressions of esteem and solidarity in this difficult time."
The couple, who are originally from the Dominican Republic, share three children together. Two sons, Starling Jr. and Smerling, and a daughter, Tiana, according to his MLB player's biography.
Marte played with the Pittsburgh Pirates for his first eight seasons and was traded to the Diamondbacks in January, reported Fox News.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Noelia Marte," the Diamondbacks said in a statement. "Starling and his family are part of the D-backs' family and we will do all we can to support him and their children during this incredibly difficult time."
The Pirates released a statement reaching out to Noelia's family.
"The entire Pirates family extend our deepest condolences to Starling Marte and family during this terrible time. Our hearts are truly saddened by this news."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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