Moment of silence for Rachel Minaya, Omar Minaya's wife, held at Yankees game

The Yankees held a moment of silence Monday for Rachel Minaya, the wife of senior adviser Omar Minaya, after her death Saturday at their home in New Jersey.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday that an investigation is underway but that circumstances do not appear suspicious. No ruling on the cause and manner of death has been given yet.

“It’s very hard,” manager Aaron Boone said after the game. “My heart goes out to O and his family. I think we’re all heartbroken.”

A 911 call made at 3:32 p.m. Saturday reported that Rachel Minaya was found unconscious and unresponsive, according to the prosecutor’s office. She was taken by ambulance to Hackensack Meridian Health Pascack Valley Medical Center and pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m.

Rachel, 55, and Omar met in 1989 at a Manhattan hair salon, according to a Sports Illustrated article, and were married a year later. The couple has two sons — Teddy and Justin, who is a forward for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers.

Omar Minaya, who was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up in Queens, is well-known in baseball circles beyond the Bronx, serving in many roles from team front offices to the Players Association. He made his name in Flushing during three different stops with the Mets, including a seven-season run as GM from 2004 to 2010. Minaya, 65, also became MLB’s first Hispanic GM when the Expos appointed him in 2002.

“The Yankees are devastated to learn of the passing of Rachel Minaya, the wife of Yankees Baseball Operations Senior Adviser Omar Minaya,” the Yankees said in a statement. “To those closest to her, she was a loving and compassionate mother and wife, and a huge supporter of her family and loved ones. In a very short time, Omar has become a beloved member of the Yankees organization, where he regularly displays his unique ability to connect with people of diverse backgrounds. Over the course of his distinguished career in the game, he has freely given to others with kindness and friendship, and in this unthinkable time, we offer Omar, his sons Justin and Teddy, and their family and friends our profound condolences. His family is an extension of the baseball family, and this is a loss that is deeply felt among all of us.”

The Yankees hired Minaya in 2023 as a senior adviser, pairing him with Brian Sabean, an architect of three World Series titles with the Giants, as part of a plan to integrate more veteran scouting experience with their analytics-focused front office.

“I’ll start by sending our thoughts and prayers to Omar Minaya,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said at his pregame news conference. “Obviously, we learned of the passing of his wife and good friend. We all know what he meant to the Mets organization.”

Mets owner Steve Cohen and his wife, Alex, said in a statement: “We were tremendously saddened to learn of Rachel Minaya’s passing. Omar had a substantial impact on our organization and his wife, Rachel, was always by his side every step of the way. The Minayas have been dear friends of ours for years and we extend our deepest condolences to Omar’s entire family and loved ones.”

With Tim Healey

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.