Pete Rose was taken to the hospital by a friend just five days before his death, TMZ Sports has learned ... but after a battery of tests, doctors concluded he was healthy enough to go home.
We broke the story ... 83-year-old Rose was found dead at his Las Vegas home on September 30. Now, we're learning more about the circumstances surrounding his death.
On September 25, an associate of Pete's took him to the hospital 'cause she believed he was "acting different." Docs ran tests, but everything "appeared fine and did not show anything wrong with Pete."
Rose, Major League Baseball's hit king, was ultimately sent home.
We know days later Pete traveled to Nashville for a meet-and-greet with fans before heading back to Sin City, where he passed away hours after returning home from the trip.
We spoke with Pete's longtime friend and Hall of Fame former teammate, Tony Perez, who told us Rose wasn't himself at the event ... saying his buddy wasn't feeling well.
As for what happened the day of Rose's death, his son Tyler made a 911 call at 2:54 PM, telling authorities he believed his dad passed away.
Cops and medics responded to the scene, and when they arrived, Tyler told them he found his dad unresponsive. He got his father dressed, and then performed CPR, unfortunately to no avail.
Authorities surveyed the scene and found what appeared to be vomit in a trash can
Emergency responders, after consulting with a physician at a local hospital, declared Rose deceased at 3:21 PM.
The coroner in Vegas, after performing an autopsy, concluded Rose died from heart disease.