Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout testified on Tuesday that he loved his former teammate Tyler Skaggs “like a brother.” He also mentioned that he never saw the signs of substance use before Skaggs’s brutal overdose during the team’s trip to Texas in 2019.

Mike Trout, the three-time American League MVP and one of the Angels’ and the league’s most recognized figures, took the stand in a civil trial in Southern California examining whether the Angels franchise bears the responsibility for Skaggs’s death. The case centers around whether Eric Kay, who was then the former communications director, provided Skaggs a fentanyl-laced pill that led to his untimely death.

Trout, speaking rather quietly and even acknowledging that he doesn’t like public speaking, described the close friendship between him and Skaggs. And according to Athletic’s writer Sam Blum, “Mike Trout choked up as he gave incredibly emotional testimony this morning about Tyler Skaggs. He said that Skaggs was like a brother to him, and he misses him. Unlike Tom Taylor yesterday, Trout acknowledged his belief that Eric Kay had a drug issue & confronted him about it.”

Trout mentioned that their friendship began when both of them were drafted out of high school in 2009. Trout from New Jersey and Skaggs from California. He said they roomed together as rookies in Iowa and maintained a strong bond through their time with the Los Angeles Angels. Tyler was very “funny, outgoing, and fun to be around,” Trout told the court. He also mentioned how Skaggs was like the team’s DJ and often carried a boom box around with him.

Mike Trout touched on the fact that Kay was good at his job, helping the players navigate the interviews and media questions. However, he also acknowledged that he believed Eric Kay had a substance issue after he saw Kay acting weird and sweating, and then confronted him about it. He even mentioned reaching out for help if needed. Trout revealed that a clubhouse attendant had suggested the players stop paying Kay for performing stunts like shaving eyebrows and more!

Tyler Skaggs’ family seeks justice in $118 million wrongful death lawsuit

The Los Angeles Angels went back to court to fight accusations that could reshape how MLB handles player safety and accountability. The lawsuit was filed by Skaggs’s wife, Carli, and his parents, and it accused the franchise of making reckless decisions that allowed Eric Kay access to players when he was battling issues himself.

Kay was convicted in 2022 for providing Skaggs with a fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill and is serving a 22-year federal sentence. The lawsuit also says that the team turned a blind eye to Kay allegedly supplying unwanted things to players between 2017 and 2019—a claim that is supported by testimony from five MLB players during Kay’s criminal trial. The Angels, however, argue that Skaggs completely acted independently and drank heavily and took substances privately in his hotel room just as the team was set to open the series against the Texas Rangers.

A coroner’s report revealed later that there was a fatal combination of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone in Skaggs’ system, and then he choked on his own vomit. His family is now looking for $118 million in damages, including lost earnings and compensation for all the emotional suffering. Former Angels pitcher Wade Miley is also expected to testify in the weeklong trial in Santa Ana, California. After Skaggs’s death, MLB introduced mandatory substance testing and other treatment programs.