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What happened to Tyler Skaggs? MLB pitcher’s family blames LA Angels for death

In their opening statement, the attorney representing Tyler Skaggs' family argued that the Los Angeles Angels put the MLB pitcher "directly in harm's way."
posted by Vaishnavi Sah
Thursday 10/16/2025 at 12:55PM EDT
  • Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs (45) poses for a portrait during the Los Angeles Angels photo day (Image via Getty)
    Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs (45) poses for a portrait during the Los Angeles Angels photo day (Image via Getty)

    In a trial that began over six years after Tyler Skaggs' death, lawyers for his family during the opening statements claimed that the Los Angeles Angels put him "directly in harm's way." For those unversed, Tyler was a pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels, who was found dead in his Southlake, Texas, hotel room on July 1, 2019. The Angels were in town to open the game against the Texas Rangers.

    According to the medical examiner's report, he choked to death on his vomit, while a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone was found in his system.

    "The Southlake Police Department responded to a call of an unconscious male in a room in the Hilton Hotel. Officers arrived and found the male unresponsive and he was pronounced deceased at the scene," authorities confirmed in a statement at that time.

    At the time, Eric Kay was the Angels' communications director, who was later sentenced to 22 years in federal prison in connection with Tyler's death. He was found guilty of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, per the United States Attorney's Office Northern District of Texas. According to evidence presented at trial, Kay distributed the pills that led to Tyler's passing.

    Meanwhile, Skaggs' widow, Carly, and his parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2021. During the trial on Tuesday, attorneys for Carly and the pitcher's parents argued that the Angels knew that Kay was supplying drugs to Skaggs and other players, and that they chose to ignore those signs of drug abuse by Kay.

    "They buried their heads in the sand over and over and over again, and as a result, Tyler Skaggs is dead. Eric regularly supplied the drugs they needed to perform, and they trusted him. It was rampant, out of control and incredibly dangerous," said attorney Shawn Holley (as per AP News).

    Holly also claimed that Kay had been to rehab multiple times, and also showed up to work "very high." He also argued that Tim Mead, former PR head for the Angels, saw multiple baggies of pills at Kay's house in 2017.

    "That sort of packaging was indicative of selling drugs … The Angels now knew," said Holly.

    "He died due to his reckless decision": Angels attorneys push back against Tyler Skaggs' death allegation

    Angels' attorney Todd Theodora denied the claims and argued that Tyler Skaggs "died due to his reckless decision to mix large amounts of alcohol with narcotics on the night he died, and he did that to get high."

    "The evidence will show that Angels baseball did not know that Tyler had a drug problem or that Eric Kay was distributing drugs to any player. Period. End of story," Todd added.

    He continued:

    "Angels Baseball did not kill Tyler Skaggs, and Angels Baseball only wishes that he could have come forward and told us about his struggles. We wish he had told us about his challenges with drugs and we could have helped him. Really, this is a simple case. Tyler, and Tyler alone, decided to obtain the illicit pills and take the illicit drugs along with the alcohol the night he died."

    Stay tuned for more updates.

    TOPICS: Tyler Skaggs