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August 16, 2025 — Cleveland Guardians reliever Carlos Hernández has publicly acknowledged that he was texting behind the wheel when he crashed his car in Venezuela in January, an accident that left him with multiple fractures and nearly ended his major league career.
The 29-year-old right-hander, who was added to Cleveland’s 40-man roster on Tuesday, revealed the details for the first time while sitting in the Guardians’ dugout before batting practice. Hernández, who appeared in five games for the team last season, said the incident occurred on Jan. 11 while he was driving with his brother-in-law and a close friend.
“I became distracted,” Hernández said through an interpreter. “I was trying to send a text message, and the next thing I knew, the car was rolling. It was terrifying.”
The crash resulted in a broken right femur, a sprained ankle, a broken left arm, and a deep laceration that nearly reached the bone. He was pulled from the wreckage by emergency responders and spent weeks in a Venezuelan hospital before being flown to the United States for further treatment.
Hernández emphasized that he does not want to be seen as a cautionary tale but rather as a living reminder of the consequences of distracted driving. “I want it to serve as a reminder not to drive and text,” he said. “The accident happened right when I was texting in the middle of driving, and it was very intense. I was really scared, but I hope this serves as a reminder not to drive and text.”
The other two passengers were also injured but have since recovered. “Thankfully, everybody’s alive,” Hernández said. He attributed his own return to the mound to divine intervention, saying that only God’s will could explain the rapid recovery from such severe injuries.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said he stayed in touch with Hernández throughout the ordeal. “I spoke with him a little bit right after it happened and then spoke with him a couple times when he got to Arizona,” Vogt said. “The main thing was just checking on him and his family and making sure that they were OK. Some things are way bigger than baseball. It’s pretty incredible that he’s back on the mound getting back to the big leagues.”
Hernández has spent most of this season rehabbing at Triple-A Columbus, where he has been working to regain his pre-accident form. The team has been careful not to rush him, but his recent outings have been encouraging, according to front office sources. The Guardians are expected to use him in middle relief once he is fully ready.
The accident has also prompted a broader conversation within the organization about player safety off the field. “We talk about focus and mental discipline all the time on the field, but this is a reminder that the same principles apply when you’re behind the wheel,” said a team official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We’re going to make sure our players have access to resources about distracted driving.”
Hernández, who spent the bulk of his career with the Kansas City Royals (2020–24) and pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Cleveland last season, said he is grateful for the second chance. “I’ve learned my lesson in the hardest way possible,” he said. “I hope other people don’t have to learn it the same way.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for an average of five seconds, which at 55 mph is equivalent to driving the length of a football field blind. Hernández’s case underscores the devastating consequences of that split-second decision.
As he resumes his MLB career, Hernández plans to partner with safe-driving organizations to share his
