Tyler Skaggs: Los Angeles Angels and MLB Fans Growing Concerned Over Cause of Death

Nine MLB players paid tribute to the late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who died on July 1 at age 27, [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Nine MLB players paid tribute to the late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who died on July 1 at age 27, during Players' Weekend. That left some fans wondering about Skaggs' cause of death, which has yet to be determined. The cause of death will likely not be revealed until October.

On Friday, Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty, Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried, Texas Rangers first baseman Scott Heineman, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas and Brewers outfielders Christian Yelich and Ryan Braun all wore "LOVE YOU TY" on the backs of their jerseys instead of nicknames. Washington Nationals pitcher Patrick Corbin and Rangers pitcher Jesse Zhavez wore "FORTY FIVE," a reference to Skaggs' jersey number.

The nine players all wore the Skaggs tributes in place of their nicknames on Friday, but planned to switch for Saturday and Sunday.

"Players' Weekend is all about expressing yourself, whether that be with style or those types of things," Giolito told MLB.com. "We just want to express our love for him. It's never going to end, despite his passing, and we are in support of his family as they continue to go through this hard time."

Back on July 12, the Angels played their first home game since Skaggs' death and all wore number 45 in his memory. It was also a historic night on the field, with pitchers Taylor Cole and Felix Pena tossing a combined no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, where the team was staying before playing the Rangers. The Rangers and the MLB agreed to cancel the game scheduled the day of Skaggs' death.

Very little information is known about Skaggs' death, although the Southlake Police Department said suicide and foul play are not suspected. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner said Skaggs' family asked them to withhold autopsy results until the final examination is complete. The office estimated that it will not be done until Oct. 2.

Last year, Skaggs married Carli Skaggs, who gave a heartbreaking tribute to her husband at his funeral in Santa Monica on July 22.

"Tyler, my most handsome husband and love of my life," Carli said, reports PEOPLE. "You showed me what real love is, and, as badly as I'm hurting, I consider myself blessed to have been loved by you."

"When I look back at our life together, I have no regrets. We said 'I love you' every hour. We never missed an opportunity to say how fortunate we are to have found our true love," she said through tears. "Six years later, we never got tired of being together and looked forward to those sacred off days. I'm grateful we never took our love for granted. Always showing the utmost respect for each other."

Skaggs was born in Woodland Hills, California and attended Santa Monica High School. The Angels drafted him out of high school in 2009, but traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2010. He returned to the Angels in 2013 and was in their starting rotation at the time of his death.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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