Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy suffered a broken nose and concussion in Sunday's home plate collision with Houston Astros pinch runner Jake Marisnick, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

He will reportedly see an ear, nose and throat doctor after the All-Star break when the swelling has subsided.

Angels manager Brad Ausmus has called for MLB to consider suspending Marisnick, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

"It certainly didn't look like a clean play," Ausmus said, per Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press. "I don't know what actually happened, but it looked like Marisnick took a step to the left and bowled into him with his arm up."

Rieken noted Marisnick said he attempted to slide headfirst to the inside corner of the plate.

"I watched the play again and it looks—he just drops right in front of me, and once I kind of made a decision, it was too late," he said. "It was a bad play and I hope he's OK."

Marisnick wasn't tagged but was called out on the play for colliding with Lucroy.

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina sided with Lucroy, writing in an Instagram post that "MLB need to take action on this Bulls--t play."

On Sunday, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli announced he won't play catcher again following his sixth concussion.

"That's enough," Cervelli said, per Dejan Kovacevic of DKPittsburghSports.com. "This time is different. I can't live like this."

This could put pressure on the league to add even more rules to make the game safer for the athletes.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy was carted off the field during his team's game against the Houston Astros on Sunday following a scary collision at the plate with center fielder Jake Marisnick.

Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group noted the Astros outfielder was called out for the collision, while Lucroy was taken from the field on a cart. According to Fletcher, the catcher was taken to the hospital and will be evaluated for a nose fracture and concussion.

Marisnick pinch ran in the bottom of the eighth inning with the game tied at 10 and came barreling toward Lucroy in an attempt to score on a potential sacrifice fly from George Springer. Marisnick crossed home plate but made contact with Lucroy's head on the collision as the ball bounced away.

"Through my eyes I thought the play was going to end up on the outside of the plate," said Marisnick on Twitter after the game. "I made a split second decision at full speed to slide head first on the inside part of the plate. That decision got another player hurt and I feel awful. I hope nothing but the best for @JLucroy20."

Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times suggested neither player was at fault:

At the risk of offending those who think Marisnick's slide was dirty ... it looked like Jake was trying to take an inside tack to avoid a collision and Lucroy, while trying to catch ball, leaned his body right into Jake and the collision. Not sure either was at fault. #Angels

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) July 7, 2019

Lucroy was 2-for-4 with a run and RBI before exiting the final game before the All-Star break. Justin Bour pinch hit for Lucroy in the top of the ninth, and Dustin Garneau entered as catcher for the bottom of the ninth. He has been inconsistent for much of his first season with the Angels and entered play slashing .233/.304/.349 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.

He was a serious power threat behind the plate in 2016 with 24 home runs for the Milwaukee Brewers and Texas Rangers but is yet to rediscover that stroke since. He had a combined 10 home runs the past two years for the Rangers, Colorado Rockies and Oakland Athletics.

The Angels will likely turn toward Garneau behind the plate if Lucroy is forced to miss extensive time. The journeyman has played for the Rockies, Athletics and Chicago White Sox in addition to Los Angeles the past five years and is slashing .263/.391/.316 without a long ball in 16 games this season.

The Los Angeles Angels are continuing to find ways to honor Tyler Skaggs.

The 27-year-old pitcher was found dead Monday in his Texas hotel room ahead of the Angels' game against the Texas Rangers. Saturday, Skaggs' close friend and teammate Andrew Heaney took the mound for the first time since the tragedy and tossed a curveball as his first pitch—Skaggs' signature pitch:

Andrew Heaney throws a curveball on his first pitch in honor of Tyler Skaggs. pic.twitter.com/W4PXosi3Wr

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 6, 2019

L.A. returned to action Tuesday and defeated the Rangers 9-4. Before the game, Heaney and Cam Bedrosian held Skagg's jersey during the moment of silence in his honor.

Afterward, several Angels addressed the media about the loss of Skaggs. Among them was Heaney, who got choked up and called Skaggs his best friend.

"There's probably about 100 other people out there that would say he was their best friend, too, because he treated everybody like that," Heaney said through tears.

Forever in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/ic7FPPaQR2

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 3, 2019

The Angels will continue to keep Skaggs with them throughout the season by wearing a "Skaggs 45" patch on their jerseys.

Los Angeles police detective Ryan Caplette was charged with 75 misdemeanor counts Friday after allegedly videotaping at least 37 men without their knowledge inside a bathroom at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, the home of MLB's Los Angeles Angels, during a June 8 game against the Seattle Mariners.

The Associated Press reported the charges against Caplette, who was off duty at the time, include disorderly conduct (peeping with intent to invade privacy), secretly videotaping in a restroom and loitering.

Alex Wigglesworth of Los Angeles Times reported the a search of the 42-year-old detective's recording device unearthed "dozens of additional victims," including others at undisclosed locations around L.A.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told Wigglesowrth that Caplette has been assigned to home duty while the situation is investigated ahead of a July 22 court appearance.

Cindy Von Quednow of KTLA noted the other alleged acts of videotaping were referred to the LAPD for a separate investigation.

Caplette was originally placed under a citizen's arrest at Angel Stadium before being released.

The Los Angeles Angels will honor late pitcher Tyler Skaggs with a commemorative patch on their uniform the rest of the year. 

In their first game since Skaggs' sudden death Monday, Los Angeles wore a black patch with "45" on it. The team will continue to pay tribute to Skaggs moving forward by using an updated patch that features both his name and number:

For the remainder of the season, we will wear this patch to honor Tyler Skaggs. pic.twitter.com/x3PAoVdUdJ

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 3, 2019

Skaggs, 27, died unexpectedly in a Texas hotel room Monday. The cause of death has yet to be determined. According to TMZ Sports, authorities said "no foul play is suspected" and there are no signs of suicide.

Monday night's game between the Angels and Texas Rangers was postponed in the wake of the death. The two teams were back in action Tuesday, and a moment of silence was held in Skaggs' honor. His number was also painted on the mound at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

Tommy La Stella's outstanding season has been derailed by a foul ball off his shin during Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers. 

The Los Angeles Angels communications department announced Wednesday that La Stella will miss at least eight to 10 weeks after a CT scan revealed a fractured right tibia. 

La Stella was removed in the sixth inning of Los Angeles' 9-4 win over the Rangers on Tuesday. He was helped off the field after being examined by the training staff and manager Brad Ausmus. 

The injury comes after La Stella got named to the American League All-Star team for the first time in his career. 

After being acquired by the Angels last November in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, La Stella has been a breakout star in 2019. The 30-year-old has more home runs in 78 games this season (16) than he did in 396 games from 2014 to 2018 combined (10). 

La Stella also ranks second among Angels regulars with a .300 batting average and is tied for second with 44 RBI. 

The Angels will likely turn to rookie Luis Rengifo as La Stella's replacement at second base. The 22-year-old is hitting .247/.321/.370 with three homers and 19 RBI in 47 games. 

Following an emotional 9-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout discussed the death of teammate Tyler Skaggs.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), Trout said he hasn't been able to get Skaggs off his mind: "I can't explain it, man. Lost a teammate, lost a friend, a brother. Just got to get through it. It's tough. My first at-bat, I get up there, all I do is think about him. Just a different feeling, just in shock. It's like walking around the hotel, you're just always thinking about him."

On Monday in Texas, Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room and was pronounced dead at 27. No cause of death has been determined, though suicide and foul play are not suspected.

Monday's scheduled game between the Angels and Rangers in Texas was postponed following Skaggs' death, but the teams returned to the field Tuesday.

Many Angels players paid tribute to Skaggs. Most notably, pitchers Andrew Heaney and Cam Bedrosian held Skaggs' No. 45 jersey during a pregame moment of silence.

Angels pitchers Andrew Heaney and Cam Bedrosian carried Tyler Skaggs' No. 45 jersey during tonight's pregame moment of silence 🙏

📽️: @FoxSportsWest pic.twitter.com/A1r79XVkmP

— SportsDay Rangers (@dmn_rangers) July 3, 2019

Texas led 3-1 through four innings, but L.A. scored six unanswered runs to take the lead for good. Trout went 0-for-3 with three walks and a run scored in the win, which evened the Angels' record at 43-43.

Trout noted that losing Skaggs is something Angels players and coaches will cope with for a long time: "It's going to be tough these next couple of days, the rest of the season, the rest of our life, to lose our friend."

Skaggs and Trout had been teammates since the Arizona Diamondbacks traded the pitcher to the Angels before the 2014 season.

The Angels are scheduled for two more games against the Rangers on Wednesday and Thursday before they embark on a three-game set in Houston against the Astros over the weekend.

L.A.'s first home game since Skaggs' death will be played after the All-Star break on July 12 against the Seattle Mariners.

The Los Angeles Angels spoke publicly Tuesday after announcing pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27.  

"It's like a punch in the heart," team owner Arte Moreno told reporters. "These kids are like family."

Manager Brad Ausmus offered his thoughts on Skaggs, via Brian Pascus and Caroline Linton of CBS News:

"He's just a happy person. He's got the type of personality that draws others in. Like I said, he's goofy in a good, funny way. This road trip to Dallas, he came up to me four or five days before and, 'hey, we're going to Texas for two series, do you care if we all dress up in Western gear or cowboy gear?' So he kind of spearheaded that and that's one of the last pictures of Skaggys with his teammates, all dressed up in cowboy gear. And the last image I have of him is standing on a plane with this awful cowboy shirt on, playing cards."

General manager Billy Eppler spoke about the feeling of loss everyone in the organization is experiencing right now: "He was an exceptional young man with an entire life so full of promise yet to live. For some reason that is incomprehensible to all of us, he lives on now only in our minds and in our hearts."

During their press conference, the Angels also announced they will wear a patch with Skaggs' No. 45 for the remainder of the 2019 season.

The Angels will be wearing these black “45” patches on their jersey tonight and will continue to honor Tyler Skaggs this year. They’ll have him on their hearts. pic.twitter.com/gv8I16FSWL

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 2, 2019

The Angels and Texas Rangers postponed Monday's game scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET in the wake of Skaggs' death. 

The Rangers announced they will hold a moment of silence before Tuesday's game and donate all proceeds from the Texas2Split raffle to the Angels baseball foundation. 

Per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, the Southlake police department said "no foul play is suspected and the investigation is ongoing" after Skaggs was found unresponsive in a hotel room Monday.

Skaggs was originally selected by the Angels in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft. The left-handed starter was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks the following year as part of the Dan Haren deal. 

After spending his first two years in the big leagues with Arizona, Skaggs was traded back to Los Angeles in December 2013. He started 65 games over the past four seasons. 

There is no comfort. Not when tragedy pushes its way into the middle of a Monday afternoon in Texas and seizes a young pitcher in the prime of his career, a son, a husband, a friend and a teammate.

Tyler Skaggs was all those things—not in that order, not even close. We frame it that way, of course, because he was a Los Angeles Angel and there was a game to play Monday night and it's the middle of summer and baseball was his job. He was good at it, worked as hard as anybody to be better, kept pushing the boulder up the mountain the way baseball players do. Now, there is only emptiness and tears.

Nobody should die in a hotel room on the road, and no organization should have to go through what the Angels are going through for the second time in a decade. Ten years ago this past April, starting pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a horrific auto crash (the vehicle in which he was riding was hit by a drunk driver). Now the organization is grieving, again, and its fans are leaving bouquets of flowers and other tributes to another fallen Angel, again. On Monday, police found Skaggs' body in a Southlake, Texas, hotel room. Neither suicide nor foul play was suspected as the cause, according to police, who added they were still investigating what happened.

Skaggs, 27, was smart, passionate and thoughtful. He married in December, to Carli. He was the son of a longtime physical fitness teacher and softball coach at Santa Monica (California) High School, Debbie.

He was a workhorse starter who led Angels pitchers with 79.2 innings this season, a left-hander who showed flashes of brilliance with his 78 strikeouts against 28 walks, a competitor who snarled at manager Brad Ausmus to leave him in the damn game. Same as he did, in a different way, with former Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

"He was a joy to be around," Ian Kinsler, the former Angels second baseman now with San Diego, said. "As a teammate, he fit right in with everyone else. He was one of the boys.

"He was fiery. He could cut guys up pretty easily. He could also take it. He was engaged in conversations. He was thoughtful."

Kinsler spoke with his friend and former teammate, Angels left fielder Justin Upton, by phone Monday afternoon shortly after hearing the news. Neither of them could fully absorb it.

"I told him to take a deep breath and I'd talk to him soon," Kinsler said.

There are no reasons. There can't be, can there? Too often we are reminded to enjoy every little, precious moment because you just never know. And then, just when we stray too far from that and get caught up in our little dramas again, life sends yet another horrible reminder of its fragility.

Sports is supposed to be an escape, and yet, in baseball's small corner of the world, like everywhere else, there is no escaping. The Miami Marlins' Jose Fernandez died just a few years ago. The Kansas City Royals' Yordano Ventura died not long after. Tragic reminders to hug your parents, tell your kids you love them, embrace your friends.

"It affects everybody," said Eric Hosmer, San Diego's first baseman who was with Kansas City and went to the Dominican Republic as part of the Royals' traveling party after Ventura's death. "All of baseball. Everybody. The world.

"I can relate to [the Angels]. I know exactly what they're feeling. There's nothing you can say or do. You're praying for him, his family and his loved ones."

Skaggs was an Angels first-round pick in 2009, 40th overall, coming into the organization the same time Mike Trout did. They traded Skaggs to Arizona in 2010 and reacquired him from the Diamondbacks in 2013. From then until now, he had battled back from Tommy John surgery, overcome biceps tendinitis and a strained oblique. Last season, he was sidelined three different times with muscle injuries.

At the suggestion of his agent, he traveled to Florida this offseason to work with a strength coach who specializes in flexibility and corrective exercise. He knew he needed to get more limber. He knew there was still plenty of untapped potential.

This year, he was beginning to tap it. He was 7-7 with a 4.29 ERA, not Cy Young Award material yet, but you could see things coming together. There was joy in his spirit, life in his eyes.

A few weeks back while I was working on a story on his draft-class buddy Trout, Skaggs was recounting the January 2018 NFC Championship Game between his beloved Minnesota Vikings and Trout's Philadelphia Eagles.

"He knows I'm a Vikings fan, and we were actually FaceTiming when the Vikings made the miraculous comeback against the Saints, and he told me, 'I actually have an extra ticket if you want to come out for the playoff game,'" Skaggs said. "And I said, 'Of course, that's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, one game away from the Super Bowl.'

"So I went out and watched the game, and unfortunately his team dominated mine [38-7], so I got a lot of s--t for it. But it was a great time, one of those moments in my life when I wish my team would have won, but I cherish that moment."

Just as the Angels and others who knew him are now left with nothing more than to cherish their moments with Skaggs.

"He loved underground rap music," Kinsler said. "He was in the rap game, big. He loved rap music, and he loved shredding on other guys' music because his was the best.

"That was the running joke with everyone. And he had a different vocabulary [because of the rap lyrics]. He'd throw some slang at you, and you had to ask him what he meant."

For a brief moment, that memory caused the hint of a smile to cross Kinsler's face. Then just as quickly, it disappeared. There was no game in Texas on Monday night, a postponement made by the league in light of Skaggs' death. And the games that were played paused for a deep breath and a moment of silence.

"Nothing you can say or do is comforting in this situation," Kinsler continued. "You just give hugs."

   

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball.

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs died Monday at the age of 27, the team announced.

"It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas," the Angels said in a statement. "Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels Family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time."

The Southlake Police Department announced officers responded to the Hilton Hotel after receiving a report about an "unconscious male." Authorities found Skaggs unresponsive, and he was "pronounced deceased at the scene." A spokesperson for the police department said suicide "is not suspected," according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.

An investigation into Skaggs' death remains ongoing, but police don't suspect foul play at the moment.

The Texas Rangers released a statement as well, noting their Monday game against Los Angeles would be postponed: "The Texas Rangers organization wants to express its deepest sympathies to the family of Tyler Skaggs and to the entire Angels organization on this shocking loss. The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Texas Rangers and all of their fans are with the Angels organization at this difficult time."

Mike Trout posted a statement on Instagram about Skaggs:

"Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts... we love you, 45."

Skaggs made 15 appearances for the Angels this season, posting a 4.29 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 79.2 innings. His 1.7 WAR is highest on the team among Angels pitchers, per FanGraphs.

The veteran left-hander was in his seventh season in MLB. He made his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and moved to the Angels in December 2013 as part of a trade that sent Mark Trumbo to Arizona.

Tommy John surgery interrupted Skaggs' career and forced him to miss the 2015 season, along with large parts of 2014 and 2016. Upon returning in 2016, he quickly reestablished himself as one of Los Angeles' best starters.