A wrongful death lawsuit over the 2019 overdose of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs has led to renewed suspicion about his former teammate, Wade Miley.
Miley, who recently resurfaced with the Cincinnati Reds this season, is accused by Skaggs’ former agent, Ryan Hamill, of providing drugs to Skaggs, who battled an addiction problem prior to his death at a team hotel in the Dallas suburbs.
As Hamill said in his deposition, Skaggs was showing erratic behavior, which led the pitcher’s parents to confront him. Skaggs ultimately admitted to his drug use and told his parents he’d received drugs from Miley, Hamill said.
Hamill’s deposition is part of that wrongful death lawsuit by Skaggs’ family against the Angels in Los Angeles County court.
Eric Kay, a former Angels media relations staffer, was previously convicted in Texas of giving the fatal dose of fentanyl-laced pills to Skaggs. Kay was sentenced to 22 years inf federal prison as a result.
The 38-year-old Miley is not facing criminal charges. He was previously named in connection to Skaggs’ death during Kay’s sentencing. Prosecutors played a recorded conversation between Kay and his own mother in which Kay said Miley was one of Skaggs’ drug suppliers.
Speaking through a team spokesman, Miley has declined to comment to Daily Mail.
Tyler Skaggs is seen in June of 2018 – about a year before his overdose death in Texas
Reds pitcher Wade Miley has been accused of providing drugs to Tyler Skaggs
Daily Mail has reached out to the Reds for comment.
Miley and Skaggs played together with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and 2013. Later, he’d go on to play in Anaheim with pitcher Matt Harvey, who testified during Kay’s trial that he also provided drugs to Skaggs.
Harvey was suspended 60 days for violating MLB’s drug policy but never pitched in another league game.
Harvey was among five Major Leaguers who testified about receiving oxycodone pills from Kay at various times from 2017-19, the years Kay was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to players.
Kay also used drugs himself, according to testimony and court documents. In fact, he was only recently out of opioid rehab in 2019 when he rejoined the club.
Former Los Angeles Angels communications director Eric Kay was sentenced to 22 years in prison after being convicted for providing the drugs that led to Tyler Skaggs’ death
There was no reaction from Skaggs’ widow, Carli Skaggs, who testified in February, and his mother or members of Kay’s family including one of his sons who testified on his behalf
Testifying at Kay’s trial in exchange for immunity, Harvey acknowledged being a cocaine user before and during his season with the Angels in 2019. The former New York Mets star said he tried oxycodone provided by Skaggs during his season with the Angels and also provided drugs to Skaggs at various times.
A journeyman southpaw from Louisianna, Miley has pitched in parts of 15 different seasons. His recent return to the Reds hasn’t gone well as he’s surrendered seven earned runs in just seven innings of work.
Dr. Stacey Hail, an expert witness for the government, testified at Kay’s trial that fentanyl caused Skaggs’ death, a key aspect for the prosecution since the autopsy classified the death as accidental from the mix of alcohol and drugs.
The wrongful death lawsuit against the Angels accuses the team of ignoring the threat posed by Kay, a known drug user, who had “unrestricted access” to players susceptible to the temptations of painkillers due to the rigors of a 162-game season.
