Los Angeles Angels

The autopsy results for Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs have been released. 

Per Maria Torres and Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Skaggs had fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol in his system when he died July 1. 

"The cause of death is listed as a mixture of 'alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents,' meaning Skaggs, 27, essentially choked on his vomit while under the influence," Torres and DiGiovanna wrote.

Skaggs' family issued a statement after learning the results of the toxicology report:

"We are heartbroken to learn that the passing of our beloved Tyler was the result of a combination of dangerous drugs and alcohol. That is completely out of character for someone who worked so hard to become a Major League baseball player and had a very promising future in the game he loved so much.

"We are grateful for the work of the detectives in the Southlake Police Department and their ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tyler's death. 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. To that end, we have hired attorney Rusty Hardin to assist us."

The report notes Skaggs had 3.8 nanograms per milliliter of fentanyl in his blood, 38 nanograms per milliliter of oxycodone and a blood alcohol level of 0.122 percent. His death was ruled an accident; however, the Southlake (Texas) Police Department is still investigating. 

The Angels also released a statement: "Tyler was and always will be a beloved member of the Angels Family and we are deeply saddened to learn what caused his tragic death. Angels baseball has provided our full cooperation and assistance to the Southlake Police as they conduct their investigation."

Skaggs was found unresponsive and pronounced dead in his hotel room in Southlake, where the Angels were staying during a series against the Texas Rangers.

The Angels and Rangers postponed their July 1 game in the wake of Skaggs' death.

The California native made his final start June 29 against the Oakland Athletics. The left-hander played seven MLB seasons with Los Angeles and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was a first-round draft pick by the Angels in 2009. 

By all rights, 2019 should be the Year of Mike Trout in Major League Baseball.

They're all Years of Mike Trout to some extent. According to Baseball Reference, he's led at least the American League in wins above replacement five times since his rookie season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012. His 72.0 total WAR in this span is 28.9 points better than the next-best player (Josh Donaldson).

Yet Trout is outdoing himself this season. The 28-year-old center fielder is working on career highs with a 1.100 OPS and 42 home runs, plus an 8.3 WAR that gives him a shot at topping his pinnacle of 10.5.

In addition to his talent, Trout's popularity might also be at its peak. Even before his superb season began, he had a best-selling jersey, signed a record-setting $430 million extension and spoke the kicker in MLB's "Let the Kids Play" promotion for 2019:

But with October now in the near future, Major League Baseball is facing a familiar problem regarding Trout: He's the must-see player who will soon be nowhere to be seen.

Despite Trout's excellence, the Angels are only 63-67 and 12 games off the pace for the AL's second wild-card spot. Barring an unlikely chain of events, Trout will still have only three postseason games—all in the 2014 American League Division Series opposite the Kansas City Royals—on his track record by the end of the year.

Until this changes, quips akin to "Count the rings!" will invariably follow any mention of Trout's greatness. Most recently, they were in abundance on Twitter when Trout surpassed New York Yankees legend and five-time World Series champion Derek Jeter in career WAR:

Mike Trout is now tied with Derek Jeter, his childhood idol, with 72.4 career bWAR.

It took Jeter 20 years to accumulate that bWAR. This is Trout’s ninth season.

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) August 18, 2019

Trout is far from the first superstar athlete whose exceptional talent has come with such a distinct asterisk. Rightly or wrongly, nobody ever has it made until they prove themselves on the biggest possible stage.

But to what is surely Major League Baseball's chagrin, something about the Trout situation is decidedly singular to baseball.

As players like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have demonstrated, it's indeed possible for superstars in the National Football League, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League to ensure their reputations align with their talent. To varying degrees, each sport allows for stars to call their own numbers and carry their teams as needed.

Baseball is different. It's one thing to see a Jeter, a David Ortiz or a Madison Bumgarner lead a charge through October, but getting there is another matter. There are 162 games in the regular season, and a team can't rely strictly on its best pitchers and best hitters every step of the way. 

Trout, for instance, is only going to come to the plate four or five times in a given game. And even if he comes up in a clutch situation, his bat might be taken out of his hands. Since 2012, he ranks third in overall walks and tied for second in intentional walks.

Since he's powerless to change baseball's rules—just imagine if teams could bat who they wanted when they wanted—Trout can only maximize what impact he does have. To this end, his seemingly endless bag of new tricks has produced a lower chase rate against off-speed pitches and a higher barrel rate in 2019.

Up until recently, there was a possible future in which Trout endeavored to erase the lone blight on his record by moving to greener, more championship-friendly pastures via free agency after 2020. But now that he's contracted to play in Anaheim through his age-38 season in 2030, it's all up to the Angels to build a winner around him.

The Angels have won more games (647) than they've lost (617) since Trout's big break in 2012. But they haven't had a winning season since 2015, and Trout carrying too heavy a burden is less of a feature and more of a bug.

To wit, the WAR gap between him and other Angels position players over the last nine seasons is a shocking sight to behold:

Trout generally hasn't had the benefit of a good pitching staff, either. The Angels pitcher with the most WAR since 2012 is still Jered Weaver at 10.4. He was done as a quality pitcher by 2014 and hasn't even pitched for the Angels since 2016.

It's not for lack of trying that the Trout years have been such a disappointment. His rookie season followed the club's nearly $320 million splash on Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. They spent another $125 million on Josh Hamilton a year later. Their signings and trades in the years since then include Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton, Zack Cozart, Tommy La Stella and, of course, two-way marvel Shohei Ohtani.

However, Pujols and Hamilton are two of the worst free-agent flops in MLB history, and they haven't been offset by a steady supply of cheap homegrown talent. Apart from Kole Calhoun and Garrett Richards, the Angels have had a tough time developing stars not named Trout.

It hasn't helped that their luck has run the gamut from bad to heartbreaking. Richards was cut down in his prime by injuries, and the Angels lost both Nick Adenhart and Tyler Skaggs to tragic deaths.

Mercifully, the Angels do have some silver linings to lean on as they gaze into the future.

According to MLB.com, toolsy outfielder Jo Adell is baseball's No. 4 prospect with a major league ETA of 2020. Assuming he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani should also return to the mound next year. The Angels should have fully functional versions of Upton and La Stella, too.

There could also be some spending in order during the coming offseason. Although pickings will be slim on the free-agent market, the Angels might be in the running for the grand prize: ace right-hander and Southern California native Gerrit Cole.

The Angels can't afford to dawdle. Although they did well in backing up the ol' Brinks truck for Trout, the big 3-0 is fast approaching. The end of his prime may come sooner than anyone wants to admit.

In the meantime, there's little else that MLB or Trout himself can do to bolster his legacy as a once-in-a-generation superstar. He's taken care of the numbers and, albeit belatedly, the league has gone out of its way to shine a light on him. Elevating him within that light is all up to the Angels.

If they don't get it done, many people might remember Trout as less of a Derek Jeter and more as a Ted Williams or a Barry Bonds. 

Sure, he was great. But where was he when it came time to win the big one?

                        

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

Albert Pujols is still rewriting the record books at 39 years old.

The Los Angeles Angels first baseman notched his 3,167th career hit in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday evening—a single to right field that scored Mike Trout—to become the owner of the most hits by any foreign-born MLB player in history:

Albert Pujols now has 3,167 career hits, which is the most by any foreign-born player in Major League history!@PujolsFive | #TheHaloWay pic.twitter.com/iPuIno8JQR

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 15, 2019

Pujols singled again in the bottom of the eighth to score Shohei Ohtani and Kole Calhoun, which helped the Angels to a 7-4 victory. According to MLB Stats, the Dominican Republic native surpassed Adrian Beltre's previous record of 3,166.

It has already been a momentous season for Pujols.

The 10-time All-Star secured his 2,000th career RBI in a 13-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on May 9 and joined Hank Aaron (2,297) and Alex Rodriguez (2,086) as the only three players in history to reach that threshold.

Then, from June 21 to June 23, Pujols returned to St. Louis for the first time since he signed his 10-year, $254 million contract with the Angels in December 2011. Previously, the three-time MVP played for the Cardinals from 2001 to 2011, where he was crucial to the franchise winning World Series titles in 2006 and 2011.

Following Wednesday's performance, Pujols owns a .242 batting average with 18 home runs and 70 RBI for the 59-63 Angels. Pujols is signed through the 2021 season.

Matt Harvey's time with the Los Angeles Angels is over after 12 starts.

On Sunday, the Angels announced they requested unconditional release waivers for the right-handed starter with the intention of granting him a full release. Harvey signed a one-year deal worth $11 million with Los Angeles prior to the 2019 campaign but failed to live up to expectations.

He posted a 7.09 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 59.2 innings during those 12 starts and didn't look like the All-Star with a bright future he once was on the New York Mets.

This comes after Jake Russell of the Washington Post reported the Angels designated Harvey for assignment Friday after he allowed six runs in six innings against the Houston Astros during Thursday's contest.

Harvey's release is just the latest development in his on-field downfall. He was once widely considered one of the best pitchers in baseball during the early portion of his career on the Mets and was a 2013 All-Star who finished with a sub-3.00 ERA in his first three years.

He was also the 2015 National League Comeback Player of the Year and helped lead New York to the World Series after he missed the 2014 campaign because of Tommy John surgery.

It's somewhat stunning how far, how fast Matt Harvey fell.

2012-15: 25-18, 2.53 ERA
2016-19: 19-31, 5.65 ERA

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 19, 2019

Since then, the Mets shut him down in 2016 to undergo surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, and he posted a 6.70 ERA in 2017. Harvey made eight appearances for the Mets last season with a 7.00 ERA before they traded him to the Cincinnati Reds in May.

Los Angeles may have been encouraged by his 4.50 ERA in 24 starts for Cincinnati, but he was unable to replicate that level of production this year.

Matt Harvey's time as a Los Angeles Angel has come to an end as the team announced Friday that it has designated the 30-year-old starting pitcher for assignment.

The move comes less than 24 hours after Harvey allowed six earned runs and five walks in a 6-2 loss to the Houston Astros Thursday night.

Harvey agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract with the Angels in December. In 12 starts for the club this season, the right-hander posted an underwhelming 3-5 record, 7.09 ERA and 1.542 WHIP. 

In May of last year, Harvey found himself in a similar situation when the New York Mets DFA'd him before trading him four days later to the Cincinnati Reds. 

One month prior, New York tried to make things work with Harvey by moving him to the bullpen. However, the only thing the move to the pen accomplished was to "piss off" Harvey as his production didn't improve. 

Once in Cincinnati, Harvey went 7-7 in 24 starts with a 4.50 ERA and 1.250 WHIP. 

According to FanGraphs' Devan Fink, Harvey has a dismal 0.4 wins above replacement over the last three years and 307.1 innings pitched.

It's somewhat stunning how far, how fast Matt Harvey fell.

2012-15: 25-18, 2.53 ERA
2016-19: 19-31, 5.65 ERA

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 19, 2019

In other words, the Angels were within their rights to release him. 

Harvey made his only All-Star Game in 2013 before undergoing Tommy John surgery that October. When he returned to the mound in 2015, at 26 years old, Harvey went 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA and career-best 1.019 WHIP. 

Supported by Harvey's successful 2015 post-Tommy John, NBC Sports' D.J. Short believes it was a different injury that has caused the pitcher formerly known as the Dark Knight to fall from the top:

Matt Harvey had a historic return from Tommy John surgery. It was thoracic outlet syndrome surgery which sunk his career. Whether how he was pushed in his return from Tommy John surgery played a factor in his TOS is the great unanswerable question. Either way, it's sad.

— D.J. Short (@djshort) July 19, 2019

The Angels now have seven days to either find a trade partner for Harvey or place him on irrevocable outright waivers, per MLB.com.

Two members of the Los Angeles Angels were suspended for what appeared to be a retaliatory action against Houston Astros center fielder Jake Marisnick. 

Yahoo Sports MLB shared the league's announcement revealing that Angels pitcher Noe Ramirez was suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing near Marisnick's head during Tuesday's game. Angels manager Brad Ausmus was suspended for one game and also fined an undisclosed amount.

The pitch came after Marisnick collided with Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy during a game on July 7. The violent collision sent Lucroy to the hospital. 

Dan Agnew of Yahoo Sports provided additional context to the situation, noting Lucroy suffered a broken nose from the collision and will require surgery. MLB suspended Marisnick two games, although he is still able to play while he appeals the punishment.

Despite Lucroy's status serving as the backdrop for the situation, Ausmus and Ramirez both said the pitch that hit Marisnick was unintentional.

Marisnick took first base after the hit-by-pitch without charging the mound, but the dugouts eventually cleared after Angels first baseman Albert Pujols was arguing with players in the Astros' dugout:

Both bullpens cleared after things got heated between Albert Pujols and the Astros dugout 👀 pic.twitter.com/rWztU7H3eP

— FanDuel Sports Network West (@FanDuelSN_West) July 17, 2019

"They got a free shot at him with no warning, with no ejection," Astros manager AJ Hinch said, per Greg Beachem of the Associated Press. "We'll see if there's discipline, and without discipline, there's not going to be any issue doing it the next time. So if retaliations are in, cool. We're well aware."

Los Angeles is nine games back of Houston in the American League West race following two straight wins in this series. The two sides have two remaining games in this meeting and play 10 times from Aug. 23 through Sept. 29.

The Angels have the opportunity to play their way back into the race with so many head-to-head matchups, but there will undoubtedly be tension lingering over the games for the remainder of the season.

The Los Angeles Angels announced a Monday MRI revealed center fielder Mike Trout suffered a small strain of his right calf.

Trout did not start Monday's game against the Houston Astros and had one at-bat in Sunday's victory over the Seattle Mariners before he was replaced. The announcement noted he is considered day-to-day.

Los Angeles is 11 games behind Houston in the American League West, so there is no need to rush its franchise cornerstone back and risk further injury. It is five games out of a wild-card spot but would have to leapfrog four of the five teams ahead of it in the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers.

Trout is one of the best players in baseball history and is already a two-time American League MVP, eight-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger and Rookie of the Year at age 27.

He is slashing .305/.455/.666 with 30 home runs and 75 RBI while being responsible for two defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs.

The Angels will likely continue relying on Kole Calhoun and Michael Hermosillo in center field until Trout returns. Neither of them can replicate the starter's production, though Calhoun drilled his 21st home run of the season in Sunday's win over Seattle.

The Los Angeles Angels announced star Mike Trout was removed from Sunday's game against the Seattle Mariners with right calf tightness and is day-to-day.

He will have an MRI on Monday, but manager Brad Ausmus says the injury is not believed to be serious, per J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group.

Trout was his usual self in 2018, finishing with 39 home runs, 79 RBI and a .312/.460/.628 slash line in 140 games. His 9.8 WAR ranked second among all position players, per FanGraphs.

The 27-year-old is on pace for another monster year. Through 89 games, he has 30 home runs, 75 RBI and a 1.124 OPS.

The two-time American League MVP erased any questions over his long-term future when he signed a 12-year, $426.5 million extension with the Angels. L.A. may have locked up the best player of his generation for the rest of his career, but clear holes remain in the team's lineup.

According to FanGraphs, Los Angeles finished 17th as a team in weighted on-base average (.313) and 11th in weighted runs created plus (100) in 2018. And that was with Trout healthy for the bulk of the year. Take him out of the mix and the Angels find themselves in dire straits.

Entering Sunday, they are also 11 games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West and will be hard-pressed to make up any ground as long as he is out.

Felix Pena and Taylor Cole threw a combined no-hitter as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners 13-0 on a night in which the Halos honored teammate Tyler Skaggs in their first home game following the death of the 27-year-old southpaw.

Angel in the outfield. pic.twitter.com/iYoPlBxKYx

— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2019

Chills. #RIP45 pic.twitter.com/022nOzwULG

— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 13, 2019

Cole served as the opener for two innings before handing the ball to Pena, who struck out six Mariners over seven frames. Per Andrew Simon of MLB.com, Pena's seven no-hit innings were the most by a reliever since 2004.

Designated hitter Omar Narvaez was the Mariners' only baserunner after a fifth-inning walk.

The night was highly emotional even before Cole took the mound.

The Angels printed Skaggs' picture and his number on the outfield wall, and the entire team wore No. 45 jerseys in his honor:

❤ pic.twitter.com/huRuL5tmvr

— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2019

Center fielder Mike Trout and left-hander Andrew Heaney carried Skaggs' framed jersey to the mound prior to the game, and both teams stood on the baselines as Angel Stadium honored the pitcher with a moment of silence:

pic.twitter.com/8Dn5vohEjM

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 13, 2019

Skaggs' mother, Debbie, threw out the first pitch, a strike over the heart of the plate:

Debbie Skaggs, Tyler's mom, threw out the first pitch and it was right down the middle 🙏

(via @gregbeacham)pic.twitter.com/ib80VQDv3S

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 13, 2019

The Angels had an unbelievable performance at the dish as well.   

Trout led the Halos' bats thanks largely to a 454-foot home run on the first pitch he saw:

No. 45 goes yard. pic.twitter.com/9FYs72Xffp

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 13, 2019

That shot helped catapult the Angels to a 7-0 lead after one inning. Trout also had two doubles, two runs and six RBI.

Justin Upton smacked a two-run homer, and Andrelton Simmons and David Fletcher each had three hits.

After the game, the Angels placed their No. 45 jerseys on the mound:

No words. What a moment. 🙏

(via @FoxSportsWest)pic.twitter.com/6plc63UfXe

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 13, 2019

No words. #45 pic.twitter.com/MmytNT6cW4

— Eric Kay (@EKay2121) July 13, 2019

Manager Brad Ausmus, Pena and Trout summed up the night as best they could.

Ausmus told reporters that he felt "like this is partly Skaggsy's no-hitter." And Pena said the following on Fox Sports West:

"Now we have an angel taking care of us in heaven." -Pena on the loss of Tyler Skaggs and the @Angels first game back in Anaheim pic.twitter.com/NxoBJfzg6A

— FanDuel Sports Network West (@FanDuelSN_West) July 13, 2019

Trout, who had one of the best games of his future Hall of Fame career, put it best.

"You can't make this up," Trout told Fox Sports (h/t Matt Eppers of USA Today). "This is incredible. We obviously loved him, and it's a very emotional night for all of us."

The Los Angeles Angels wore their late teammate Tyler Skaggs' jersey against the Seattle Mariners Friday night in the team's first game home since the 27-year-old starting pitcher's death. 

Tonight, we all wear 45. pic.twitter.com/IQ5pDzGSQD

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 13, 2019

All the feels pic.twitter.com/GqccJ1brzA

— KC Bubba (@bdentrek) July 13, 2019

"We're currently working with the MLB and MLBPA on making items available honoring Tyler in the Angel Stadium Team Store," the team also announced, adding that fans can donate to the Tyler Skaggs Baseball Foundation in the meantime. 

The organization unveiled a mural of Skaggs in the outfield prior to the game, and his mother, Debbie, threw out the first pitch while wearing her son's No. 45: 

Tyler Skagg's mother, Debbie Skaggs, throws the first pitch in tonight's home game. The first game back in Anaheim since the loss of Tyler. #45

❤️👼 pic.twitter.com/WWsjpOMsoT

— FanDuel Sports Network West (@FanDuelSN_West) July 13, 2019

❤ pic.twitter.com/huRuL5tmvr

— MLB (@MLB) July 13, 2019

Skaggs was found dead July 1 in his Southlake, Texas, hotel room ahead of the Angels' game against the Texas Rangers.

The official cause for his death has not been released. 

A moment of silence was held for Skaggs before Tuesday night's All-Star Game, in which Mike Trout and Tommy La Stella wore No. 45, and Trout told reporters after the contest that he "felt him out there with me":

"I felt [Tyler Skaggs] out there with me." pic.twitter.com/ZTmcLgzWkf

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 10, 2019

For the remainder of the reason, L.A. will sport "45" patches on its uniforms to honor Skaggs.