Wife of San Diego Padres' Yangervis Solarte dies following cancer battle

The wife of San Diego Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte died of cancer on Saturday. Yuliette Solarte was 31.

Yangervis Solarte left the team prior to Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies to travel to Florida to be with his wife and three children.

"Everybody's heart breaks for him right now," Padres manager Andy Green said prior to Sunday's game against the Rockies. "There's nothing that replaces a wife and a mother. All we can do is love him."

Yangervis Solarte posted a message on Twitter on Saturday night.

"Simply thank you for all your support," Solarte wrote in Spanish. "The truth is I have no word to describe this. We had a tough year but I know that she fought."

Solarte has been a bright spot for the Padres while dealing with his family situation. He is batting .284 and has set career highs with 15 homers and 68 RBIs.

Solarte informed the Padres he would like to return before the season concludes.