In a highly contentious civil trial, lawyers representing the family of late pitcher Tyler Skaggs are accusing the Los Angeles Angels of negligence, claiming the team's failure to address reports of drug use by the team's communications director led to the tragic overdose death of the 27-year-old player. However, the Angels' legal team has a different perspective, arguing that Skaggs himself was the one pushing for drug use and that club officials would have sought help for him if they had known. This case, which has been playing out in Southern California courts, centers around the question of whether the MLB team should be held responsible for Skaggs' fatal overdose after he snorted a fentanyl-laced pill during a team trip to Texas in 2019. The trial has been a rollercoaster of testimonies, with witnesses describing the erratic behavior of the team's communications director, Eric Kay, and the dark underbelly of the team's culture. Kay was convicted of providing the pill that led to Skaggs' death and sentenced to 22 years in prison. The family of Skaggs is seeking lost earnings, compensation for pain and suffering, and punitive damages against the Angels, while the team's hired experts argue the potential earnings were much lower. The trial has also shed light on the MLB's efforts to combat opioid use, with the league reaching a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and refer those who test positive to the treatment board.
