SANTA ANA, Calif. – Mike Trout, outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, testified on Tuesday about the tragic loss of his teammate Tyler Skaggs. Trout, who shares a deep fraternal connection with Skaggs, stated that he had not noticed signs of drug use before Skaggs’ death from an overdose during a team trip to Texas in 2019.
Trout, recognized as a three-time American League MVP and who this year reached his 400th home run, appeared in a civil trial in Southern California. The trial seeks to determine if the MLB team should be held responsible for Eric Kay, the then-communications director, who allegedly supplied Skaggs with a fentanyl pill that led to his death.
In his testimony, Trout, who admitted his reluctance to speak in public, recounted his friendship with Skaggs from their days as rookies in Iowa and throughout their time together on the Angels. Both players were drafted directly from high school in 2009, Trout from New Jersey and Skaggs from California.
Trout described Skaggs as a “very fun, outgoing, and pleasant” person, recalling his role as the team’s DJ with his inseparable boombox.
Trout also talked about Eric Kay, highlighting his ability to get interviews for the players and guide them on the questions to answer. However, he mentioned an incident in which a club employee suggested that the players stop paying Kay for certain actions, such as getting hit by a pitch in the leg, shaving their eyebrows, or eating a pimple from Trout’s back, due to concerns that the money could be used for “improper” purposes.
Trout claimed to have seen Kay acting nervously and sweating, which led him to suspect drug use.
“I just didn’t know what it was,” Trout told the court, adding that he approached Kay and told her that if she needed anything, to let him know.
The testimony was presented at the trial for a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ widow, Carli, and his parents, who argue that the Angels made reckless decisions that allowed Kay to access MLB players despite his addiction and drug trafficking. The team has argued that Skaggs also consumed excessive alcohol and that his actions occurred on his own time and in the privacy of his hotel room.
The trial comes more than six years after Skaggs, 27, was found dead in a hotel room outside Dallas, where the team was preparing for a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. The coroner’s report indicates that Skaggs died of asphyxiation due to his own vomit and that a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone was found in his system.
In 2022, Kay was found guilty of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill containing fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. In his federal criminal trial in Texas, five MLB players testified that they received oxycodone from Kay at various times between 2017 and 2019, years in which he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.
The family is seeking $118 million for Skaggs’ lost earnings, compensation for pain and suffering, and punitive damages against the team.
Skaggs had been a regular member of the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016 and repeatedly struggled with injuries during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
After Skaggs’ death, MLB reached an agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association to begin conducting opioid screening tests and refer those who test positive to the treatment board.
In addition to Trout, other players, including former Angels pitcher Wade Miley, could testify in what is expected to be a multi-week trial in Santa Ana.
