Reports: M's Sanchez suffers head injury

Mariners right-hander Victor Sanchez suffered a head injury after being hit by a boat while swimming in his home country of Venezuela, according to local news reports.

Sanchez is in intensive care and listed in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery for a fractured skull, Venezuelan sports website Lavinotinto.com reported. The site said Sanchez was hit by a watercraft while swimming off a beach in Carupano and was unconscious for a period of time following the incident.

Dr. Rolando Cobis, who performed the surgery, told the website, "[Sanchez] is still fighting for his life. There [is] vital danger to him."

The Rio Chico native's agent alerted the Mariners to the incident on Saturday. Seattle is sending a Venezuelan employee to the hospital in Carupano to monitor the situation, according to MLB.com.

Sanchez, 20, was the 11th-ranked prospect in the Mariners' farm system following the 2014 season. Seattle fast-tracked him last year to Double-A Jackson, where he posted a 4.19 ERA in 23 starts. Sanchez struck out 97 and walked 34 over 124 2/3 innings while going 7-6.

The hurler pitched for the Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason and went 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA.

Sanchez signed with the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent in July 2011. He made his professional debut a year later, going 6-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 15 starts for Short-Season Everett. On July 17, 2013, he pitched a nine-inning no-hitter for Class A Clinton, striking out eight batters and allowing only three baserunners in a 1-0 win over Lansing.