Tyler Skaggs Remembered By Teammate Mike Trout
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead Monday in his Texas hotel room, per ESPN. The sudden passing of the 27-year-old pitcher led to an outpouring of support throughout baseball and also led to the cancellation of the Angels’ game Monday night against the Texas Rangers.
Among those paying tribute to Skaggs was his superstar teammate, outfielder Mike Trout, who shared a remembrance on Twitter Monday night.
“Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now,” Trout tweeted to his 2.55 million followers. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts… we love you, 45.”
Trout and Skaggs had been teammates with the Angels since 2016.
Per The Inquisitr, Skaggs was found in his hotel room on Monday afternoon, and no foul play is suspected. There’s been no word yet about the pitcher’s cause of death, although Star-Telegram reporter Nichole Manna tweeted Monday that police expect to have more information about Skaggs’ passing later on Tuesday.
In Skaggs’ final game, per The Los Angeles Times, he pitched 4-1/3 innings, issuing four walks and giving up two hits, in a 4-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics in Anaheim on June 29. He had been scheduled to make his next scheduled start for the Angels on July 4.
A native of southern California who was a first-round draft choice by the Angels in 2009, Skaggs was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012, although he was traded back to the Angels after the 2013 season.
Skaggs had married his wife, Carli, during last year’s offseason. Following Tyler’s passing, per The Inquisitr, Carli posted pictures of their life together to Instagram, including their wedding last year, which was nearly called off due to the California wildfires. The post became something of a memorial for friends and fans of the pitcher to share their remembrances.
Top story: What happened to Angles Pitcher Tyler Skaggs? His shocking and mysterious death at 27 is rocking the baseball world, and fans: https://t.co/HFBxbqN0Vu #RIP45 pic.twitter.com/10S1JAgG8A
— Morning Express with Robin Meade (@MorningExp) July 2, 2019
“He had a long life ahead of him, and now that’s gone,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said as he fought back tears at the press conference, per ESPN. “Everybody grieves in their own way, and everybody has to find peace through this eventually, but it’s just a tragic day for everybody, especially his family.”
The hashtag “RIP45” trended on Twitter on Monday and Tuesday, in reference to Skaggs’ uniform number. Some misinterpreted it as a reference to Donald Trump, who is the 45th president.
Another young Angels pitcher, Nick Adenhart, died in a car accident in April of 2009 at the age of 22.
