SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is set to testify on Tuesday in a lawsuit concerning the responsibility of the MLB team in the drug overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. Trout, a three-time American League MVP and recent milestone achiever with his 400th career home run, is expected to appear in a Southern California courtroom to discuss his friendship with Skaggs, who tragically passed away during a team trip to Texas in 2019. Skaggs died after ingesting a fentanyl-laced pill, which he received from Eric Kay, the Angels' communication director.
The proceedings are centered around a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs' wife, Carli, and his parents, who are seeking to hold the Angels accountable for their son's death. According to the family, the organization made a series of reckless decisions that allowed Kay to interact closely with MLB players despite his addiction to drugs. The team has countered these claims, arguing that Skaggs was also consuming alcohol heavily and that his actions, which led to his death, occurred privately in his hotel room.
During the opening statements of the trial, a lawyer representing the Skaggs family asserted that Trout was aware of Kay's struggles with substance abuse and had even offered to finance Kay's rehabilitation. It is anticipated that other players, including former Angels pitcher Wade Miley, currently with the Cincinnati Reds, will also provide testimony during the trial, which is expected to last several weeks in Santa Ana, California.
This civil lawsuit surfaces more than six years after the 27-year-old Skaggs was discovered dead in a hotel room in suburban Dallas. The Angels were due to commence a four-game series against the Texas Rangers at that time. According to a coroner's report, Skaggs choked on his vomit, and a toxicology examination revealed a dangerous combination of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone in his system.
In 2022, Eric Kay was convicted of supplying Skaggs with an oxycodone pill that contained fentanyl and subsequently sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. Kay's federal criminal trial in Texas included testimonies from five MLB players who reported receiving oxycodone from him during the years 2017 to 2019, the same timeframe in which he allegedly procured pills and distributed them to Angels players.
The Skaggs family is pursuing a total of $118 million in damages, which includes compensation for lost earnings, pain and suffering, in addition to punitive damages against the Los Angeles Angels. Tyler Skaggs had been a vital part of the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, although he faced recurrent injuries during his career. Prior to joining the Angels, he had played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Following Skaggs' untimely death, Major League Baseball took significant steps, reaching an agreement with the players' association to implement testing for opioids. Players who test positive are now referred to a treatment board, in an effort to address substance abuse issues within the sport.
