Abducted baseball star rescued from captors

A KIDNAPPED US baseball star was rescued from a remote mountain hideout by Venezuelan security forces yesterday.

The Venezuelan-born Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, 24, was seized by gunmen from outside his mother’s home on Wednesday night during an off-season visit home.

His abduction outraged Venezuela, where US baseball attracts a widespread following. His rescue by airborne troops was hailed a major boost for the government of president Hugo Chavez.

Three suspected kidnappers were arrested, including a Colombian national linked to paramilitary groups.