Detroit Tigers' academy in Dominican Republic broken into, robbed by armed thieves

The Detroit Tigers' academy in the Dominican Republic, located in San Pedro de Macorís, was broken into by a group of armed robbers late Tuesday night.

Players and staff members weren't injured in the robbery, but items including phones and jewelry were stolen.

Five people broke into the Tigers' academy and one person was arrested by police, according to The Associated Press. San Pedro de Macorís is about 45 miles east of the Dominican Republic's capital Santo Domingo. It's among the 10 largest cities by population on the island.

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The Dominican academy is home to minor-league players, mostly teenagers signed from Latin American countries through the international signing period. Players at the academy participate in workouts, games and school.

One of the Tigers' top prospects, switch-hitting catcher Enrique Jimenez, was at the academy during the robbery.

The 17-year-old is ranked as the Tigers' No. 18 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He signed out of Venezuela for a $1.25 million signing bonus in January 2023 and played 46 games — hitting .277 with one home run, 24 walks and 30 strikeouts — in the Dominican Summer League this season.

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Sixteen of 30 MLB academies in the Dominican Republic have been robbed, according to Dominican-based reporter Héctor Gómez. The Cardinals' complex in Boca Chica was broken into by armed robbers last Friday.

The Dominican authorities are investigating the robberies at club academies, and MLB is cooperating with the people in charge of the investigation.

"This was scary on many fronts," John Mozeliak, the Cardinals' president of baseball operations, said in a released statement. "Our players and staff were shaken up but not harmed. No one was injured, and we will reassess our security provisions immediately."

The Tigers, under president of baseball operations Scott Harris, recently unveiled their plan to build a new academy for players in the Dominican Republic. The land has been purchased, but the project remains in the design phase.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' academy in Dominican Republic robbed by armed thieves