Coroner: Angels' Skaggs Died of Accidental Overdose

Los Angeles Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs died from an accidental overdose of drugs and alcohol, the Tarrant County (Texas) Medical Examiner's Office said in a report released Friday.

According to the examiner's report, the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone, as well as alcohol, were in Skaggs' system when he was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, on July 1 prior to the Angels' series against the Rangers.

Per the report, Skaggs died by choking on his vomit without signs of trauma. He was 27.

Skaggs' family released a statement Friday, and in it claimed that an employee of the Angels may have been involved in "the circumstances surrounding (Skaggs') death."

"We are heartbroken to learn that the passing of our beloved Tyler was the result of a combination of dangerous drugs and alcohol," the statement said. "That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much.

"We are grateful for the work of the detectives in the Southlake Police Department and their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tyler's death. We were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them. To that end, we have hired attorney Rusty Hardin to assist us."

Later in the afternoon, the Angels released their own statement:

"Tyler was and always will be a beloved member of the Angels Family and we are deeply saddened to learn what caused this tragic death. Angels Baseball has provided our full cooperation and assistance to the Southlake Police as they conduct their investigation."

As the Southlake Police Department is still investigating Skaggs' death, few details of their investigation have been made public. The entirety of exactly what authorities found in Skaggs' hotel room is unknown, and media efforts to obtain records from police and emergency services have thus far been unsuccessful as Southlake attorneys contend release of any information could "interfere with the detection, investigation or prosecution of crime."

The Angels arrived at their hotel in the evening of Sunday, June 30, after they hosted the Oakland Athletics earlier that day. They were scheduled to begin a three-game series in Arlington the following day, but that game was postponed after Skaggs' body was found in his room at 2:18 p.m. local time that day.

The Los Angeles Times on Friday spoke with Hardin, a famed Houston attorney whose former clients have included Roger Clemens (when Clemens was accused of lying to congress), Scottie Pippen and Wade Boggs.

"I think the thing to keep in mind is they're just still so devastated, both the wife and the family, about this young man's death, and they just want to know what happened and how it happened," Hardin told the Times by phone from his office in Houston. "We're going to want to know how it came about that those drugs were ingested and whether or not others are responsible for what happened."

Skaggs last pitched on June 29, pitching 4 1/3 innings in a 4-0 loss to Oakland. He was 7-7 with a 4.29 ERA this season, and 28-38 with a 4.41 ERA over his seven-year career. Skaggs was making $3.7 million this year and would have been eligible for free agency following the 2020 season.

Oxycodone is banned pursuant to Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Agreement while fentanyl is labeled as a "drug of abuse" under the agreement.