Red Sox catcher Swihart's brother dies of unknown causes

The younger brother of Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart has died, the team announced Wednesday. Romell Jordan, 23, died unexpectedly of unknown causes.

Swihart was scratched from Wednesday's spring-training game against the Tampa Bay Rays. NESN reported he had left the team to be with his family. Jordan, a former running back at the University of New Mexico, was taken in by the Swihart family in high school because of problems in his home life, the Albuquerque Journal had reported.

The family later adopted him. "He always was a family friend and stuff happened," Swihart told The Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass., in 2014. "And he asked to come live with us and we said, 'Yes as long as we get to take care of you fully.'"

Jordan rushed for 551 yards and five touchdowns over parts of three seasons at New Mexico. It is the second tragedy in less than a week for the Red Sox. Longtime Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo died at the team's spring training complex last week.

The Red Sox had closed their clubhouse to reporters earlier Wednesday, saying they were working through a "family emergency." Swihart has played 191 career games over parts of four seasons with the Red Sox, batting .256 with eight home runs and 54 RBIs. He went hitless in two plate appearances during the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.