Eight months after a car wreck in Venezuela left him with a broken arm, a broken leg, and a cut nearly to the bone, right-hander Carlos Hernández is back on a Major League mound. Cleveland selected the 29-year-old's contract from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, when rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players for the stretch run, giving the reliever a path back to the majors that once seemed far from certain.
Hernández crashed his Toyota SUV on Avenida Guayana, a road connecting Puerto Ordaz to San Félix in his home region of Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela, on January 11, according to Correo del Caroní. The SUV overturned beneath an overpass, and firefighters had to extract Hernández and two passengers from the wreckage. As reported by MLive.com, Hernández suffered a broken left arm, a broken right femur, and a sprained ankle in the crash.
The Associated Press reported that Hernández was driving with his brother-in-law, Freyner, and a close friend at the time of the crash; both passengers were injured but survived and fully recovered. Per the Associated Press, Hernández had a deep cut in his arm that was almost to the bone. He has since said he was texting while driving when the crash occurred, and per MLive.com, he has said he wants the crash to serve as a reminder for people not to drive and text.
A Six-Month Road Back From the Injured List
Hernández spent the first half of the 2026 season on the injured list recovering from his fractures before beginning his on-field rehabilitation on July 7 with four scoreless appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, according to MLB.com. He was promoted to Triple-A Columbus on July 23, and MLive.com notes he finished the year with Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate there.
Across 12 appearances for the Clippers this season, Hernández averaged 96.4 mph on his four-seam fastball, pairing it with a splitter and slider while striking out 35% of the batters he faced, the site Away Back Gone reported. Per MLB Trade Rumors, he struck out 20 of 57 Triple-A hitters over 13 1/3 innings before his September recall — swing-and-miss numbers that suggest the velocity and stuff survived the injuries largely intact.
How Cleveland Found Room on the Roster
Cleveland was able to add Hernández to its 40-man roster on September 1 without waiving another player because the front office had left an open spot after designating infielder Gabriel Arias for assignment in early August, MLB Trade Rumors reported. The move came alongside the promotion of utility player Daniel Schneemann, who also benefited from the annual roster expansion that MLB.com notes gives teams extra bullpen arms and bench depth for September.
Because Hernández is out of minor league options for 2026, Cleveland must now keep him on its active Major League roster for the rest of the season or risk losing him if he is placed back on waivers, per the same MLB Trade Rumors report. Players without options cannot be sent down to Triple-A without first clearing waivers, a procedural wrinkle that limits Cleveland's flexibility if his command wavers or bullpen needs shift down the stretch.
A Well-Traveled Career Before the Crash
Hernández's path to Cleveland has wound through several organizations. He played parts of five seasons with the Kansas City Royals before Philadelphia claimed him off waivers, then designated him for assignment on June 11; Detroit claimed him next, and MLive.com reports he walked six batters, struck out 13, and allowed 12 earned runs on 13 hits in 10 2/3 innings with the Tigers. Cleveland then claimed him after Detroit's designation, and he appeared in five games for the Guardians, posting a 3.86 ERA with three strikeouts and three walks over seven innings before becoming a free agent after the season and re-signing with Cleveland on a minor league deal in November 2025.
Away Back Gone reported that Cleveland had first claimed Hernández off waivers in August 2025 to bolster its bullpen after former All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase was placed on indefinite non-disciplinary paid leave amid an MLB sports betting investigation. Before the crash, Hernández had also been pitching in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League for the Leones del Caracas, posting a 10.05 ERA across 17 winter appearances, according to World Baseball Network. Across six Major League seasons through 2025 with Kansas City, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Cleveland, he has accumulated 191 appearances, 299 2/3 innings pitched, 265 strikeouts, and a 5.14 career ERA, per the same outlet.
MLive.com, which has covered the Tigers and Major League Baseball since 2016, first detailed Hernández's path back through Detroit and Cleveland's system. His return puts him back on a big league mound less than a year after a crash that could have ended his career entirely, with his own account of the accident now carrying a warning beyond the diamond.
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