The death of the MLB star has led to the postponement of the game between his team Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers which was supposed to take place on Monday night.
- Jul 2, 2019
AceShowbiz - Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs has passed away at 27 years old. The professional baseball player was found unresponsive in his hotel room at a Hilton hotel in Southlake, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb on Monday afternoon, July 1, police have confirmed.
According to a press release by Southlake Police Department, Skaggs was pronounced deceased at the scene. No foul play is suspected as an investigation is ongoing. A Southlake police spokesperson also said it "is not suspected" that Skaggs took his own life, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Angels released a statement on its official Twitter page to address the sad news. "It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas," read the statement. "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."
Angels general manager Billy Eppler fought back tears when speaking to reporters about Skaggs. "He had a long life ahead of him, and now that's gone," he said. "Everybody grieves in their own way, and everybody has to find peace through this eventually, but it's just a tragic day for everybody, especially his family."
Skaggs' passing has led to the postponement of the team's game against the Texas Rangers which was supposed to take place on Monday night. Angels players and coaches, who had arrived at the Rangers' ballpark for Monday night's series opener, left about four hours before the scheduled start of the game to return to their hotel. The clubhouse was never opened to the media.
The Rangers' clubhouse was also closed when general manager Jon Daniels and manager Chris Woodward told their players what had happened and dismissed them. Woodward described it as "one of those moments where you're just kind of numb." He added, "There were a lot of pretty emotional guys in there, you could tell. Some guys knew him. [Jesse Chavez] had actually played with him in L.A. Some guys that didn't even know him were visibly shaken. You could tell."
The Rangers also expressed its sympathy through a statement. "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 thoughts and prayers of every member of the Texas Rangers and all of their fans are with the Angels and organization at this difficult time," they stated.
MLB posted a statement to Twitter from commissioner Rob Manfred. "All of us at Major League Baseball extend our deepest condolences to Tyler's wife, Carli, their family, their friends and all of his Angels' teammates and colleagues," he said. "We will support the Angels' organization through this most difficult period, and we will make a variety of resources available to Tyler's teammates and other members of the baseball family."
Other teams held a moment of silence before the start of their games on Monday to honor Skaggs, while fans laid flowers and other memorabilia outside Angel Stadium. Mike Trout, who was Skaggs' roommate in the low minor leagues, posted a tribute on Twitter. He wrote along with pictures of his fellow MLB star in the field, "Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts... we love you, 45." He's referring to Skaggs' jersey number.
Skaggs made his major league debut in 2012 after the Angels, which drafted him in 2009, traded him to the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks traded Skaggs back to the Angels during the 2013-14 off-season, and he pitched for the team until his death.
