Angels Pitcher Tyler Skaggs Dead At 27, Found Unresponsive In Hotel Room
DALLAS (CBSLA) – Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27 in a Dallas-area hotel room ahead of a game against the Texas Rangers.
The team confirmed his passing, but no cause of death was immediately released.
At about 2:18 p.m. local time, Skaggs was found unresponsive in his Hilton hotel room, according to the Southlake Police Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to reports from the Los Angeles Times, Southlake police said neither foul play nor suicide were suspected.
"Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels family," the Angels said in a statement Monday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time."
The Angels were in Dallas for a three-game series against the Rangers. However, Monday night's game was postponed, the Rangers announced.
Skaggs was recently married to his wife Carli during this past offseason.
Skaggs, who attended Santa Monica High School where his mother is a softball coach, was drafted by the Angels back in 2009. He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010, but was then traded back to the Angels in 2013, and had been with the Angels ever since.
He underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him out of action during the 2015 season. He had a career record of 28-38 with a 7-7 record this season.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District released a statement Monday that read, in part, "We are devastated to hear the news that Santa Monica High School graduate, Tyler Skaggs, has passed away...Tyler continued to make visits to our schools the past several years to speak with students and we proudly watched his ascent in professional baseball, along with his family. Tyler's mother, Debbie, was a previous girls softball coach at Samohi and is currently a physical education teacher. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and fans during this difficult time."
In April 2009, former Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart died at the age of 22 after being struck by a drunk driver.
An investigation into the Skaggs' death is ongoing.