Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout testified on Tuesday that he loved his former teammate Tyler Skaggs “like a brother” and had not noticed any signs of drug use before the pitcher died of an overdose in 2019. Trout took the stand in a civil trial in California over whether the Angels should be held liable for their former communications director, Eric Kay, giving Skaggs a fentanyl-laced pill that led to his death.
Trout described his close friendship with Skaggs, which began when both were drafted by the Angels out of high school in 2009. He called Skaggs “very funny, outgoing, fun to be around” and noted he served as the team’s DJ. Discussing Kay, Trout said he was proficient at his job but that a clubhouse attendant had once warned players against paying Kay for stunts, fearing the money might be used for a “bad purpose.” Trout recalled seeing Kay acting “wired” and sweating, which he associated with drug use. “I just didn’t know what it was,” Trout told the court, adding that he approached Kay and offered help.
The testimony came in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ wife, Carli, and his parents, who argue that the Angels made reckless decisions that enabled Kay, an addict and drug dealer, to have access to players. The team has countered that Skaggs’ drinking and drug use occurred on his own time and in private. Skaggs, 27, was found dead in a Dallas hotel room in July 2019 before a game; a coroner reported he choked on his vomit after consuming alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone.
Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. Testimony in that trial included five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay between 2017 and 2019. Skaggs’ family is seeking $118 million in damages for lost earnings, pain and suffering, and punitive damages. Following Skaggs’ death, MLB and the players’ union agreed to introduce opioid testing, with positive results referred to a treatment board.
Trout was among several current and former players expected to testify in the trial, which may last several weeks. The case continues at Santa Ana Superior Court.
