A tragic loss. Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in Texas on Monday, July 1.
Skaggs’ untimely death was confirmed by the MLB team on their respective social media pages. The athlete was 27.
“It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today,” the Los Angeles Angels’ statement reads. “Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels Family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time.”
The Southlake, Texas, Police Department released a statement on Monday revealing that officers had “responded to a call of an unconscious male in a room in the Hilton hotel,” according to the Los Angeles Times. The officers arrived and found Skaggs unresponsive and he was pronounced dead on the scene.
The statement added that no foul play is suspected and an investigation is ongoing.
Skaggs participated in what would be his last game pitching against fellow Californian team the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, June 29. The Athletics beat the Angels 4-0.
The Angels were expected to play the Texas Rangers on Monday. However, ESPN.com reported that the game has been postponed in light of Skaggs’ passing.
Skaggs is survived by his wife, Carli Skaggs, and parents Debbie and Darrell Skaggs.
Before his passing, Tyler’s wife posted a picture of the baseball star donning cowboy gear to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, June 30. “Hey good looking,” the post’s caption read.
Tyler was a Los Angeles native and attended Santa Monica High School before making a name for himself in the major leagues.
The athlete was initially drafted by the Angels during the first round of the 2009 draft as the 40th overall pick. By 2010, he was traded to pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He later returned to the Angels after the Diamondbacks traded him back in 2013.
In the wake of the postponed game, the Texas Rangers issued a statement in response to Tyler’s death.
“The Texas Rangers organization wants to express its deepest sympathies to the family of Tyler Skaggs and to the entire Angels organization on this shocking loss,” the Texas Rangers’ statement read. “The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Texas Rangers and all of their fans are with the Angels organization at this difficult time.”
Tyler is the second Angels pitcher to die suddenly in recent years after Nick Adenhart was killed in a car accident in 2009 at the age of 22. Like Tyler, Adenhart was also a pitcher.
