Former MLB Player Tony Blanco Saved Teammate Esteban Germán Before Dying in Dominican Republic Nightclub Collapse

Former Major League Baseball player Tony Blanco reportedly saved the life of his friend and ex-teammate Esteban Germán just before losing his own in the deadly nightclub collapse in Dominican Republic.

After the Dominican Republic Ministry of Sports and Recreation confirmed Blanco’s death on Tuesday, April 8, Germán, 47, told MLB insider Héctor Gómez that Blanco bravely pushed him out of the way of the collapsing roof moments before being killed.

“Former MLB player Esteban Germán told me that at the time of the collapse in Jet Set, he was returning from the bathroom and, before sitting down at the table, Tony Blanco pushed him when he realized part of the ceiling was about to fall on him,” Gómez said in a post on X.

“Unfortunately, Blanco didn’t suffer the same fate as Germán and died seconds later,” the insider added.

Blanco and German were teammates on the Orix Buffaloes in 2015 when they both played professionally in Japan.

In addition to Blanco, who was a 43-year-old father to current Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Tony Blanco Jr., former MLB pitcher Octavio Dotel lost his life in the tragedy at Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The MLB’s official social media accounts shared a tribute to Blanco after his death was confirmed on Tuesday. “We are deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic death of former Major Leaguer Tony Blanco in Tuesday’s tragedy in the Dominican Republic’s capital city of Santo Domingo,” the team wrote.

The league said Blanco played in 56 games for the inaugural Washington Nationals team in 2005, including the first game in the team’s history.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, which includes Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League player Tony Blanco Jr.,” the league added in the statement.