Juan Lara

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**Juan Lara**

Cleveland Indians — No. 58
Relief pitcher
Born: January 26, 1981 (1981-01-26) (age 27) Azua, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
September 8, 2006 for the Cleveland Indians
Selected MLB statistics (through 2007)
Win-Loss	0-0
Earned run average	4.26
Strikeouts	4
Teams
Cleveland Indians (2006-2007)

Juan Manuel Lara (born January 26, 1981 in Azua, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who plays for the Cleveland Indians. He was signed by Cleveland as an amateur free agent in May 1999 and called up to the Major League club on September 5, 2006.

1 Minor league career
2 Accident
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Minor league career

Since 1999, Lara has played for the Dominican Indians (1999–2001), Burlington Indians (2002), Mahoning Valley Scrappers (2003), Lake County Captains (2003), Kinston Indians (2004–2005), Akron Aeros (2005–2006), and Buffalo Bisons (2006). He worked as a starting pitcher from 2000 through the first half of 2003 and has worked primarily out of the bull pen since then compiling a minor league record of 24-28, 16 saves, a 3.96 ERA and 443 strike outs in 509⅔ innings.

[edit] Accident

Lara was involved in a serious automobile accident on the night of Saturday, November 24th in his homeland of the Dominican Republic, where his car was struck at an intersection by a motorcycle. Both occupants of the motorcycle were killed instantly, while Lara remains in a Dominican Republic hospital with (as of 11/27/2007) life-threatening injuries, including broken ribs, a broken D2 vertebra and possible brain damage. His career is in serious jeopardy at this point.^[1] On March 12, 2008, Lara was released from the 40-man roster but was subsequently resigned to a minor league contract despite the fact that Lara will miss the entire 2008 season. The Indians organization will handle all of Lara's medical expenses.^[2]