Lima's wife, Dorca Astacio, said Lima began complaining during the night, and she originally thought he was having a nightmare. She soon called paramedics, but Lima was suffering a massive heart attack and passed away.
Lima spent 13 years in the majors, pitching for the Tigers, Royals, Astros, Mets and Dodgers, going 89-102 with a 5.26 ERA in his career. His best season came in 1999 when he went 21-10 with the Astros.