SI

Former Orioles Pitcher Brian Matusz Dead at 37

Matusz spent eight seasons in MLB.

Tim Capurso

Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Brian Matusz pitches against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on September 7, 2015.
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Brian Matusz pitches against the New York Yankees during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium on September 7, 2015. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Former pitcher Brian Matusz, who spent the majority of his eight seasons in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles, died at age 37, the league announced on Wednesday morning. A cause of death has not been released.

A Grand Junction, Co., native, Matusz, after a standout college career at the University of San Diego, became the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his big league debut against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 4, 2009, striking out five batters across five innings while yielding just one run.

He pitched in 280 games in his career—all but one of which were with Baltimore—registering a 4.92 ERA. He made one appearance for the Chicago Cubs on July 31, 2016, a three-inning start for the eventual World Series champions. Some fans may remember Matusz for the success he enjoyed against Hall of Famer David Ortiz, holding the slugger to a .138 batting average with 13 strikeouts in his career.

He was a member of Baltimore teams that advanced to the postseason in 2012 and 2014.

The Orioles released the following in a statement.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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