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Late MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs' widow Carli appeared in court on Tuesday as the trial over his fatal 2019 drug overdose got underway.
Opening statements were heard in Santa Ana, California, to officially begin the trial over the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Carli - which accuses the Los Angeles Angels of being responsible for Tyler's death at the age of 27.
Lawyers for the Angels and members of Skaggs' family will address the jury in a long-awaited civil trial to determine whether the MLB franchise should be held responsible after one of its employees was convicted of providing drugs that led to their star pitcher’s overdose on a team trip to Texas.
As she made her way into the court room on Tuesday, an emotional Carli was comforted by attorneys William Haggerty, Lara Hollingsworth and Rusty Hardin before opening statements began.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skagg's widow and parents alleges the Southern California team knew or should have known that its communications director, Eric Kay, was supplying drugs to him and at least six other Angels players.
Kay had a lengthy history of drug abuse and went to rehab while working for the team, which had many athletes who were playing through injuries and pain, according to the lawsuit.
Late MLB pitcher Tyler Skaggs' widow Carli was comforted in a California court on Tuesday
The trial for the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Carli over Tyler's 2019 overdose got underway
Skaggs was found dead in a Texas hotel room ahead of the Angels' series against the Rangers
The Angels contend that despite his conviction, the autopsy results showed Skaggs had also been drinking and taking oxycodone when he died, and was snorting painkillers instead of taking them as they would be prescribed. The team also argues that he and Kay were off duty and the player’s actions in the privacy of his hotel room could not have been prevented by team officials.
The civil case in a Santa Ana courtroom - which seeks hundreds of millions of dollars - comes more than six years after Skaggs was found dead in the suburban Dallas hotel room where he was staying as the Angels were supposed to open a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report says he choked to death on his vomit and that a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was found in his system.
Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from him at various times from 2017 to 2019, the years he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.
After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board. The United States has been grappling with a wave of overdose deaths, many due to the potency of fentanyl, among young people, with overdoses reported as the leading cause of death for people 18-44 years old in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016, when the left-hander returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. Before pitching for the Angels, he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The trial is expected to take weeks and could include testimony from players including Angels outfielder Mike Trout and the team’s former pitcher, Wade Miley, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds.
Back in June it was revealed that the wrongful death lawsuit over Skaggs' overdose has led to renewed suspicion about ex-teammate Miley.
Along with her husband's parents, Carli filed a lawsuit accusing the MLB team of responsibility
She was embraced by attorney William Haggerty after arriving at the Santa Ana court
Another attorney, Rusty Hardin, was also seen speaking with her before opening statements
The trial into Skaggs' fatal overdose in 2019 is now up and running more than six years later
Miley, who recently resurfaced with the Cincinnati Reds this season, is accused by Skaggs' former agent, Ryan Hamill, of providing drugs to his client.
As Hamill said in his deposition, Skaggs was showing erratic behavior, which led his parents to confront him. He ultimately admitted to his drug use and told his parents he’d received drugs from Miley, Hamill said.
Hamill’s deposition is part of that wrongful death lawsuit by Skaggs’ family against the Angels in Los Angeles County court.
The 38-year-old Miley is not facing criminal charges. He was previously named in connection to Skaggs’ death during Kay’s sentencing. Prosecutors played a recorded conversation between Kay and his own mother in which Kay said Miley was one of Skaggs' drug suppliers.
