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Closing arguments in a trial on the case began on Monday in Los Angeles Angels They should be held responsible for pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ fatal drug overdose, after a team employee gave him a fentanyl-laced pill that led to his death.
Long running civil trial in A Southern California Angels outfielder’s testimony in courtroom included mike trout and team president, John Carpino, as well as Skaggs’ widow, Carly, and his parents.
The lawsuit came six years after Skaggs died during a team trip. texas After taking medication provided by team communications director Eric. Skaggs’ family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in protest. mlb The team knew or should have known that Kay was addicted to drugs and dealing with players. Additionally, Angels lawyers have stated that club officials did not realize that Skaggs had taken drugs, and that any activity involving Skaggs and Kay took place on their own time and in the privacy of the player’s hotel room.
Skaggs, a 27-year-old left-handed pitcher, was found dead in a suburban Dallas hotel room where he was staying as the Angels were scheduled to begin a four-game series against the Texas Rangers in 2019. A coroner’s report said the player died of asphyxiation due to vomit, and a toxic mixture of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was found in his system.
Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to Skaggs and was sentenced to 22 years in prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from K multiple times from 2017 to 2019, years in which he was accused of obtaining the pills and giving them to Angels players.
During the civil trial, which began in October, witnesses described Kay’s erratic behavior at the stadium and the events that led to him attending rehab before traveling with the team to Texas. Kay’s now ex-wife, Camella Kay, told jurors that the Angels failed her then-husband, who worked long hours, and while he was hospitalized for a drug overdose in 2019, she heard he had pills meant for Scaggs.
Last week, Carpino took the stand and said he wished he had known sooner about drug use by both Skaggs and Kay.
Skaggs was a regular in the Angels’ starting lineup since late 2016 and battled recurring injuries during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After Skaggs’ death, MLB reached an agreement with the players’ union to begin testing for opioids and refer those who test positive to a treatment board.