Report: Angels Employee Says Team Knew of Tyler Skaggs' Drug Use 'Long Before His Death'

An Angels public relations employee also told federal investigators that he provided oxycodone to Skaggs and abused it with him for years.

© Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

A Los Angeles Angels public relations employee told federal investigators that two team officials were told about Tyler Skaggs' drug use "long before his death," ESPN's T.J. Quinn reported on Saturday.

According to the report, the employee also told officials that he provided oxycodone to Skaggs and abused it with him for years. 

Angels director of communications, Eric Kay, also gave U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents the names of five other players who he believed used opiates while they were with the Angels. According to ESPN, Kay's attorney confirmed the statements, which were given in meetings with DEA agents in Dallas and Los Angeles in late September.

Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his hotel room on July 1, just hours before the Angels were set to face the Rangers. The Southlake Police Department said officers responded to a call of an unconscious man in a hotel room at 2:18 p.m. Skaggs was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the scene. No foul play was initially suspected.

A toxicology report revealed that Skaggs had Fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol in his system when he was found dead in July. While under the influence of the three substances, Skaggs choked on his vomit and died. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office listed his cause of death as a mixture of “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents."

After Skaggs' cause of death was announced, his family issued a statement saying, "We were shocked to learn that it may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them."

According to ESPN, Kay told investigators he illegally obtained six oxycodone pills and gave three to Skaggs a day or two before the team left California for the road trip to Texas. Skaggs also texted Kay the day the team left for Texas seeking more oxycodone, a request Kay told investigators he was unable to fulfill.

Kay, who ESPN reported had been in drug rehab treatment twice this year, took a leave of absence from the club prior to the Aug. 30 release of the autopsy report. According to the report, Kay told agents he saw Skaggs ingest crushed up oxycodone pills and another substance he was not familiar with in his Texas hotel room.

This past season was Kay's 24th with the Angels. The 45-year-old has been a director of communications since 2014.

The Angels selected Skaggs with the 40th pick in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. He was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2010 and made his major league debut in 2012 before being sent back to the Angels after the 2013 season. 

Skaggs went 28-38 with a 4.41 ERA in seven major league seasons.