Tyler Skaggs: Los Angeles Angels pitcher dies aged 27
- Published
Fans of the Los Angeles Angels pay tribute to Tyler Skaggs
The Los Angeles Angels baseball team has confirmed the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. He was 27 years old.
The announcement was made on the team's Twitter page and came hours before they were scheduled to play against the Texas Rangers.
Southlake Police said he was found unconscious in his Hilton hotel room in Texas on Monday afternoon. No foul play is suspected, police said.
Major League Baseball (MLB) cancelled Monday night's game.
Skaggs debuted in the MLB at age 20 as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The starting pitcher was drafted directly out of high school by the Angels in the team's first round of selections in 2009. He had last pitched for the team on Saturday, according to the MLB.
So far this season he has started 15 games, most recently on 29 June against the Oakland Athletics.
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"Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels family," the team said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time."
He was due to turn 28 in less than two weeks.
A police spokesperson told the LA Times that "suicide is not suspected". The Fort Worth Star-Telegram quotes an unnamed police source saying "in these early stages of the investigation, it does not appear at this time that suicide was the cause of death".
A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Tuesday, according to a spokeswoman for the Tarrant County Medical Examiner.
On Sunday, Skaggs posted a photo to Instagram of him and the team wearing cowboy hats with the caption "Howdy y'all".
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"I am deeply saddened by today's tragedy in Texas," MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
"All of us at Major League Baseball extend our deepest condolences to Tyler's wife Carli, their family, their friends and all of his Angels' team-mates and colleagues.
"We will support the Angels' organisation through this most difficult period, and we will make a variety of resources available to Tyler's team-mates and other members of the baseball family."
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Fellow Angels pitcher Parker Bridwell tweeted his condolences after the news broke, writing: "I can't believe this, my heart and prayers go out to his wife and family! We lost an amazing human being. Rest In Peace brother."
Skaggs was born in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Woodland Hills and attended Santa Monica High School.