The MLB community mourned the unexpected death of Tyler Skaggs, who was just 27 years old when he passed away on July 1, 2019. The Los Angeles Angels pitcher was found “unconscious” and pronounced deceased on the scene in a Hilton hotel room in Texas, according to the state’s Southlake Police Department. Authorities also reported that no foul play was suspected.
Tyler was a respected player in Major League Baseball, as he regularly started for the Los Angeles Angels since 2016. The team drafted him in 2009, but traded Tyler for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. At age 20, Tyler made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2012. By 2013, he was back on the Angels team!
Tyler was not immune to injuries, as he suffered from a left abductor sprain and even had to undergo “Tommy John surgery” in 2014 (a procedure used to treat an elbow injury). The surgery forced him to opt out of pitching during the 2015 season. Tyler’s five-year ERA is 4.41. Before passing away, he logged in an ERA of 4.29 for the 2019 season.
Tyler has also left behind a wife, Carli Skaggs, whom he married in Oct. 2018 — not even a full year before his tragic death.