Royals Starter Edinson Volquez’s Father Passed Away Before Game 1

Daniel Volquez, father of Royals starter Edinson Volquez, passed away in the Dominican Republic today of heart disease. He was 63 years old. Volquez is Kansas City’s starter for Game 1 against the Mets and was warming up in the bullpen when news broke. His first pitch to start the game was a strike, but pitching in the World Series must seem like the least important thing in the world to him right now.

Update: New reports indicate that Volquez has not been informed of his father’s reported death:

Update 2: ESPN is now reporting that Volquez did learn of his father’s passing before the game, and FOX is aware of the situation, but is not going to mention it while Volquez is still in the game.

Update 3: During the Broadcast, Joe Buck revealed that Royals PR said Volquez’s wife did not want him to be informed of his father’s passing before or during the game, so FOX did not relay the information until he was removed and, presumably, informed of the news.