Closing arguments commenced on Monday, 15 December 2025, in a pivotal civil trial examining the potential liability of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team in the tragic drug overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
A Fatal Team Trip and a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The proceedings, unfolding in a Southern California courtroom, centre on the events of 2019. Tyler Skaggs, a 27-year-old left-handed pitcher, was found dead in his hotel room in suburban Dallas as the Angels prepared to face the Texas Rangers. A coroner determined he choked on his vomit with a toxic combination of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone in his system.
The fatal substances were provided by the team's then communications director, Eric Kay. Skaggs' family subsequently filed a wrongful death lawsuit, arguing the Major League Baseball (MLB) organisation knew or should have known that Kay was addicted to drugs and dealing them to players.
Conflicting Testimonies and a Criminal Conviction
The civil trial, which began in October, has heard from a range of witnesses. These included Angels superstar Mike Trout, team president John Carpino, and Skaggs' widow, Carli, along with his parents. Testimony depicted Kay's erratic behaviour at the stadium and his attendance at rehab before the ill-fated Texas trip.
Camela Kay, Eric Kay's now-ex-wife, told jurors the Angels failed her then-husband. She also stated that during his 2019 hospitalisation for an overdose, she heard he possessed pills intended for Skaggs. For their part, Angels' lawyers have contended club officials were unaware Skaggs took drugs, and any interactions between Kay and the pitcher occurred privately, on their own time.
This civil case follows the federal criminal conviction of Eric Kay. In 2022, he was found guilty of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and was sentenced to 22 years in prison. His trial featured testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay between 2017 and 2019.
Aftermath and League-Wide Changes
During the civil trial, Angels president John Carpino expressed regret, wishing he had known sooner about the drug use involving both Skaggs and Kay. The tragedy has had lasting repercussions beyond the courtroom.
In the wake of Skaggs' death, the MLB and the players' association agreed to introduce testing for opioids. Players who test positive are now referred to a treatment board, marking a significant shift in the league's approach to substance abuse.
The jury must now decide whether the Los Angeles Angels bear legal responsibility for the actions of an employee that led to the untimely death of one of their players.
