Lawyers clash over Angels’ alleged role in Tyler Skaggs’ overdose death

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A lawyer for the family of late pitcher Tyler Skaggs argued Monday that the Los Angeles Angels’ failure to investigate reports of drug use and dealing by the team’s communications director led to the overdose death of the 27-year-old player.

An Angels’ attorney, however, said it was Skaggs who was pushing drug-addicted employee Eric Kay and his teammates to provide him with pills and that had club officials known about it they would have sought help for the left-handed pitcher.

The dueling claims came in closing arguments of a two-month civil trial in Southern California over whether the MLB team should be held responsible for Skaggs’ fatal overdose after snorting a fentanyl-laced pill on a team trip to Texas in 2019.

Kay was convicted of providing the pill that led to Skaggs’ death in a federal criminal case in Texas. The California trial is a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ widow, Carli, and his parents, contending the Angels knew or should have known Kay was an addict and dealing to players.

Daniel Dutko, a lawyer for Skaggs’ family, told jurors extensive testimony has shown team officials didn’t take adequate action when they learned Kay had multiple plastic bags filled with pills at his home or was hospitalized for a drug overdose. Rather, Kay stayed on the job and had access to players he aimed to keep happy by getting them massage appointments, tee times and prescription medication, Dutko said, adding he ...