Los Angeles Angels settles lawsuit with family of late pitcher Tyler Skaggs over fatal overdose

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels connected Friday settled a suit implicit the cause overdose decease of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

The determination to settee was reached aft a two-month civilian proceedings successful Southern California implicit whether the Angels should beryllium held liable for Skaggs’ 2019 decease aft helium snorted a fentanyl-laced pill provided by the team’s communications director, Eric Kay.

Skaggs’ widow, Carli, and his parents filed a suit alleging the MLB squad knew oregon should person known Kay was a cause addict and dealing painkillers to players. The squad contended officials didn’t cognize Skaggs was taking drugs and would person sought him assistance if they did.

Jurors began deliberating earlier this week.

Orange County Superior Court Judge H. Shaina Colover thanked jurors for their diligence. “That is wherefore this substance was capable to beryllium resolved today,” she said, earlier releasing them.

Six years ago, the 27-year-old left-handed pitcher was recovered dormant successful the suburban Dallas edifice country wherever helium was staying arsenic the Angels were expected to unfastened a four-game bid against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s study said the subordinate choked to decease connected his vomit, and a toxic premix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was recovered successful his system.

Kay, a longtime Angels employee, was convicted successful 2022 of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years successful prison. His transgression proceedings successful Texas included grounds from 5 MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay astatine assorted times from 2017 to 2019.

In California, MLB players including outfielder Mike Trout, Angels president John Carpino, and Skaggs’ and Kay’s relatives testified during the proceedings successful a Santa Ana courtroom. Witnesses for the plaintiffs described however Kay was acting erratic astatine the stadium and recovered with aggregate integrative bags filled with pills astatine his location and aboriginal hospitalized for a cause overdose. They besides recounted however Kay got players massage appointments, tee times and adjacent medicine medication, and was paid by players for stunts similar taking a fastball to the leg.

Angels attorneys pointed retired that Skaggs was hooked connected painkillers earlier helium signed with the Angels successful 2013. They said Skaggs got his teammates into taking pills and got Kay to supply them, but kept it concealed retired of interest it could jeopardize their MLB careers. Had squad officials known Kay was dealing drugs, oregon Skaggs was taking them, they would person done something, the lawyers said.

Witnesses besides sparred during the lawsuit implicit however overmuch wealth Skaggs would person made arsenic a pitcher had helium lived. Experts for the plaintiffs said helium could person reeled successful betwixt $91 cardinal and $101 million, portion the Angels enactment the fig astatine nary much than $32 million.

Skaggs had been a regular successful the Angels’ starting rotation since precocious 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He antecedently played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a woody with the players relation to commencement investigating for opioids and to notation those who trial affirmative to the attraction board.

Before the justice announced the colony Friday, jurors had remained down closed doors aft lawyers for some sides had gone to talk with Colover.

Late Wednesday, jurors had sent retired a enactment asking whether they “get to determine the punitive harm amount,” saying determination is nary tract for it connected the verdict form. The justice said she would nonstop a enactment replying that if they determine determination should beryllium punitive damages, they would determine however overmuch astatine a aboriginal time.

The assemblage did not enactment connected Thursday and resumed deliberations Friday morning.

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