SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — An attorney argued Monday that the Los Angeles Angels’ failure to investigate repeated reports of drug use and dealing by the team’s communications director led to the overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs.
Daniel Dutko, a lawyer for Skaggs’ family, told jurors in a Southern California courtroom that the testimony they’ve heard during a two-month trial shows officials for the MLB team didn’t take adequate action when they learned communications director Eric Kay had multiple plastic bags filled with pills at his home or was hospitalized for a drug overdose. Rather, Kay stayed on the job and had access to players he aimed to keep happy, Dutko said.
kAm“%9:D 😀 2 DJDE6>2E:4 3C62<5@H? @G6C 2?5 @G6C 2?5 @G6C[” sFE<@ D2:5 5FC:?8 4=@D:?8 2C8F>6?ED 😕 E96 4:G:= EC:2=]k^Am
kAm%96 EC:2= 4@>6D D:I J62CD 27E6C $<288D[ 2 af\J62C\@=5 =67E\92?565 A:E496C[ 5:65 @? 2 E62> EC:A E@ %6I2D 😕 a_`h 27E6C E2<:?8 2 76?E2?J=\=2465 A:== AC@G:565 3J z2J] w:D H:5@H[ r2C=:[ 2?5 A2C6?ED 7:=65 2 HC@?87F= 562E9 =2HDF:E 4@?E6?5:?8 E96 p?86=D 6H @C D9@F=5 92G6 @H? z2J H2D 255:4E65 E@ 5CF8D 2?5 562=:?8 E@ A=2J6CD]k^Am
kAmpEE@C?6JD 7@C E96 p?86=D[ H9@ H:== >2<6 E96:C 4=@D:?8 2C8F>6?ED =2E6C @? |@?52J[ 92G6 D2:5 E62> @77:4:2=D 5:5?’E C62=:K6 $<288D E@@< 5CF8D[ 2?5 2?J 24E:G:EJ :?G@=G:?8 $<288D 2?5 z2J 92AA6?65 @? E96:C @H? E:>6 2?5 😕 E96 AC:G24J @7 E96 A=2J6C’D 9@E6= C@@>]k^Am
kAm%96 EC:2= 92D :?4=F565 E6DE:>@?J 7C@> p?86=D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^2?86=D\D<288D\@G6C5@D6\EC:2=\EC@FE\32D632==\_`_72fd3“2dag4bec`72ac24452b_c3Qm@FE7:6=56C |:<6 %C@FEk^2m 2?5 E96 E62>’D AC6D:56?E[ y@9? r2CA:?@[ 2D H6== 2D $<288D’ 72>:=J] (:E?6DD6D 56D4C:365 9@H A=2J6CD FD65 E@ A2J z2J 7@C DEF?ED =:<6 E2<:?8 2 72DE32== E@ E96 =68 2?5 62E:?8 2 A:>A=6 @77 %C@FEVD 324<[ 2?5 9@H z2J 96=A65 E96> 86E >2DD286 2AA@:?E>6?ED 2?5 E66 E:>6D] sFE<@ ?@E65 z2J 6G6? 8@E 2 AC6D4C:AE:@? >65:42E:@? 7@C 2 A=2J6C[ 2?5 A@:?E65 @FE 96 H2D 7@F?5 E@ 92G6 AC@G:565 5CF8D E@ D6G6? @? E96 E62>]k^Am
kAm“(9J 5@ J@F E9:?< E96 A=2J6CD E9:?< :E 😀 ~z E@ 8@ E@ E96 5:C64E@C @C 4@>>F?:42E:@?D E@ 86E 2 AC6D4C:AE:@? >65:42E:@?nQ sFE<@ D2:5 5FC:?8 9:D 2C8F>6?E] “q642FD6 E96J 36=:6G65 tC:4 z2JVD ;@3 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ H2D E@ 86E E96> H92E6G6C E96J ?665]”k^Am
kAm$<288D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^bh2e2442_cgace5g3db66dfb2274hge5QmH2D 7@F?5 5625k^2m 😕 E96 DF3FC32? s2==2D 9@E6= C@@> H96C6 96 H2D DE2J:?8 😕 a_`h 2D E96 p?86=D H6C6 DFAA@D65 E@ @A6? 2 7@FC\82>6 D6C:6D 282:?DE E96 %6I2D #2?86CD] p 4@C@?6C’D C6A@CE D2:5 E96 A=2J6C 49@<65 E@ 562E9 @? 9:D G@>:E[ 2?5 2 E@I:4 >:I @7 2=4@9@=[ 76?E2?J= 2?5 @IJ4@5@?6 H2D 7@F?5 😕 9:D DJDE6>]k^Am
kAmz2J H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>=3\DA@CED\E6I2D\=@D\2?86=6D\2?86=D\E6I2D\C2?86CD\76gca7gfed6fdbd6cfeab7gead7ach7hQm4@?G:4E65 😕 a_aak^2m @7 AC@G:5:?8 $<288D H:E9 2 4@F?E6C76:E @IJ4@5@?6 A:== =2465 H:E9 76?E2?J= 2?5 H2D D6?E6?465 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>=3\6?E6CE2:?>6?E\DA@CED\E6I2D\32D632==\e_4442h4bdh4h_e5dg375c`3fa673f6hQmaa J62CDk^2m 😕 AC:D@?] w:D 7656C2= 4C:>:?2= EC:2= 😕 %6I2D :?4=F565 E6DE:>@?J 7C@> 7:G6 |{q A=2J6CD H9@ D2:5 E96J C646:G65 @IJ4@5@?6 7C@> z2J 2E G2C:@FD E:>6D 7C@> a_`f E@ a_`h[ E96 J62CD 96 H2D 244FD65 @7 @3E2:?:?8 A:==D 2?5 8:G:?8 E96> E@ p?86=D A=2J6CD]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 4:G:= EC:2=[ H:E?6DD6D 56D4C:365 z2J’D 6CC2E:4 3692G:@C 2E E96 DE25:F> 2?5 :?4:56?ED E92E =65 E@ 9:D 2EE6?5:?8 C6923 367@C6 96 962565 @FE @? E96 EC:A E@ %6I2D H:E9 E96 E62>] z2J’D ?@H\6I\H:76[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6DA?]4@>^>=3^DE@CJ^0^:5^cefebhfg^6I\H:76\6C:4\<2J\D2JD\2?86=D\72:=65\5CF8\255:4E65\9FD32?5\EC:2=\EJ=6C\D<288D\562E9Qmr2>6=2 z2J[k^2m E@=5 ;FC@CD E96 p?86=D 72:=65 96C E96?\9FD32?5[ H9@ H@C<65 =6?8E9J 9@FCD[ 2?5 E92E 5FC:?8 9:D a_`h 9@DA:E2=:K2E:@? 7@C 2 5CF8 @G6C5@D6[ D96 962C5 96 925 A:==D :?E6?565 7@C $<288D]k^Am
kAmr2CA:?@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42CA:?@\D<288D\=@D\2?86=6D\2?86=D\5CF8\@G6C5@D6\4g634ff3_2afge3eggbf33cddegh55gfQmE6DE:7:65k^2m E92E 96 H:D965 96 925 @H? D@@?6C 23@FE E96 5CF8 FD6 3J 3@E9 $<288D 2?5 z2J]k^Am
kAm$<288D 925 366? 2 C68F=2C 😕 E96 p?86=D’ DE2CE:?8 C@E2E:@? D:?46 =2E6 a_`e 2?5 DECF88=65 H:E9 :?;FC:6D C6A62E65=J 5FC:?8 E92E E:>6] w6 AC6G:@FD=J A=2J65 7@C E96 pC:K@?2 s:2>@?5324
kAmp7E6C $<288D’ 562E9[ E96 |{q C624965 2 562= H:E9 E96 A=2J6CD 2DD@4:2E:@? E@ DE2CE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=@D\2?86=6D\2?86=D\>2C:;F2?2\@A:@:5D\>=3\32D632==\c66gd255gbb7`3fh`74`5cg3hb`fd5d`QmE6DE:?8 7@C @A:@:5Dk^2m 2?5 E@ C676C E9@D6 H9@ E6DE A@D:E:G6 E@ E96 EC62E>6?E 3@2C5]k^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.