Joe Kennedy, a 28-year-old pitcher who played seven Major League Baseball seasons, passed away early today at his in-laws' home in Florida during a family visit. Details about the cause of his death haven’t been released yet, according to a report by ESPN.

"We are shocked and terribly saddened by the passing of Joe Kennedy. It is difficult to express the emotions felt by the Blue Jays players and our organization,'' Toronto Blue Jays' President Paul Godfrey said in a statement.

Kennedy was a journeyman left-hander and he pitched for three major league teams last season. Reports show that he went to bed early and woke up at about 1:15 a.m. and just collapsed as he was leaving a bedroom, according to Hillsborough County sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter. He was taken to the Brandon Hospital by the County Fire Rescue where his death was pronounced.

At the beginning of the season Kennedy was Oakland's No. 5 starter, but was eventually dropped from the rotation and then picked up on waivers by the Diamondbacks. By the end of the 2007 season he was with the Blue Jays, who signed him on Aug. 29 after he had been designated for assignment by Arizona.

He was released by the Blue Jays in October. Throughout his league career, Kennedy recorded 43 wins and 61 losses. He also played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Kennedy, an eighth-round pick of the Rays in 1998 out of Grossmont (Calif.) College, was 43-61 with a 4.79 ERA in 7 seasons with Tampa Bay, Colorado, Oakland, Arizona and Toronto.