Rays Release Statement Following Double-A Pitcher Blake Bivens' Awful Family Tragedy

Tragedy struck Tampa Bay Rays minor league pitcher Blake Bivens on Tuesday, as his wife, child, and mother-in-law were reportedly killed in rural Virginia. To add to the gutting news, reports indicated that Bivens' brother-in-law, Matthew Bernard, is the man who has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Words are hard to come by in the face of such an unspeakable catastrophe. In the meantime, the Rays organization released a statement regarding their 2014 fourth-round pick.

"Earlier today, we learned that Blake Bivens, a pitcher with our Double-A affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits, suffered a terrible tragedy in southern Virginia," the Rays said in their statement. "Our hearts are broke for Blake. We are grieving with him and will support him any way we can.

"We ask that everyone respect the privacy of the Bivens family and the Biscuits family during this extremely difficult time."

Bivens and the Montgomery Biscuits were scheduled to play in a double header earlier on Tuesday, but their opponent, the Chattanooga Lookouts, cancelled it out of respect for Bivens during this difficult time. The games will not be made up.

Biscuits CEO and managing owner Lou DiBella also released a statement, asking for privacy and said they will provide "an update when it's appropriate."

Our thoughts and prayers are with Blake Bivens and his family at this time as he deals with this unspeakable and gut-wrenching tragedy.