A medical examiner in Texas has ruled that Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died from an accidental overdose of drugs and alcohol.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a report released Friday that Skaggs had the powerful painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his system along with alcohol.
The 27-year-old Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in the Dallas area July 1 before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The first game was postponed.
Skaggs’ family released a statement to the Los Angeles Times on Friday.
“We are heartbroken to learn that the passing of our beloved Tyler was the result of a combination of dangerous drugs and alcohol,” the statement said. “That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much.
“We are grateful for the work of the detectives in the Southlake Police Department and their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tyler’s death. We were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them. To that end, we have hired attorney Rusty Hardin to assist us.”
Hardin has represented several high-profile athletes, including Roger Clemens in his PEDs trial in 2012.
“I think the thing to keep in mind is they’re just still so devastated, both the wife and the family, about this young man’s death, and they just want to know what happened and how it happened,” Hardin told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re going to want to know how it came about that those drugs were ingested and whether or not others are responsible for what happened.”
The lawyer also told the Times it was “way too early” to speculate on any potential legal action by Skaggs’ family.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.