Trout says he saw no sign of Skaggs' drug use

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout testified Tuesday that helium loved his teammate Tyler Skaggs similar a member and ne'er saw signs of cause usage earlier helium died of an overdose connected a squad travel to Texas successful 2019.

Trout, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player who deed his 400th vocation location tally this year, took the basal successful a civilian proceedings successful Southern California implicit whether the MLB squad should beryllium held liable for its connection manager Eric Kay giving Skaggs a fentanyl-laced pill that led to his death.

Trout, who acknowledged helium didn't similar speaking successful public, told the courtroom astir his relationship with Skaggs from the clip they roomed unneurotic arsenic rookies successful Iowa and done playing for the Angels. Both were drafted retired of precocious schoolhouse arsenic teens successful 2009 - Trout from New Jersey, and Skaggs from California.

Skaggs was "very funny, outgoing, amusive to beryllium around" and toted astir a roar container arsenic the team's deejay, Trout said.

Trout besides said Kay was bully astatine his job, getting players to springiness interviews and guiding them connected which questions they mightiness beryllium asked. At 1 point, however, Trout said a clubhouse attendant suggested the players should halt paying Kay for stunts helium was pulling similar taking a fastball to the leg, shaving disconnected his eyebrows and eating a pimple disconnected Trout's backmost owed to concerns the wealth mightiness beryllium utilized for a "bad purpose."

Trout said helium had seen Kay acting wired and sweating and "the archetypal happening that came to caput was drugs."

He said it was wide helium was "using something."

"I conscionable didn't cognize what it was," Trout told the court, adding helium approached Kay and told him if helium needed thing to fto him know.

The grounds came astatine the proceedings for a wrongful decease suit filed by Skaggs' wife, Carli, and his parents, who contend the Angels made a bid of reckless decisions that gave Kay entree to MLB players erstwhile helium was addicted to drugs and dealing them. The squad has countered that Skaggs was besides drinking heavy and his actions occurred connected his ain clip and successful the privateness of his edifice country erstwhile helium died.

The proceedings comes much than six years aft 27-year-old Skaggs was recovered dormant successful the suburban Dallas edifice country wherever helium was staying arsenic the Angels were expected to unfastened a four-game bid against the Texas Rangers. A coroner's study says Skaggs choked to decease connected his vomit and that a toxic premix of alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone was recovered successful his system.

Kay was convicted successful 2022 of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years successful national prison. His national transgression proceedings successful Texas included grounds from 5 MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay astatine assorted times from 2017 to 2019, the years helium was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.

The household is seeking $118 cardinal for Skaggs' mislaid earnings, compensation for symptom and suffering and punitive damages against the team.

Skaggs had been a regular successful the Angels' starting rotation since precocious 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He antecedently played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After Skaggs' death, the MLB reached a woody with the players relation to commencement investigating for opioids and to notation those who trial affirmative to the attraction board.

In summation to Trout, different players including erstwhile Angels pitcher Wade Miley, who presently plays for the Cincinnati Reds, could besides attest successful what is expected to beryllium a weekslong proceedings successful Santa Ana, Calif.