In Santa Ana, California, a pivotal trial commenced this Tuesday, shedding light on a wrongful death lawsuit that holds the Los Angeles Angels accountable for the tragic drug overdose of one of their star pitchers back in 2019.

The courtroom drama unfolds as attorneys representing both the Angels and the family of the late Tyler Skaggs present their opening statements. At the heart of this civil trial lies the question of whether the Major League Baseball team bears responsibility after their employee was found guilty of supplying the drugs that led to Skaggs’ untimely demise during a team trip in Texas.

Skaggs’ widow, Carli, along with his parents, have filed the lawsuit, which alleges that the Angels were either aware or should have been aware that their communications director, Eric Kay, was distributing drugs not only to Skaggs but also to at least six other players on the team. The lawsuit points to Kay’s extensive history of substance abuse and his stint in rehab while on the Angels’ payroll, suggesting a culture where athletes, often battling injuries and pain, were vulnerable to such influences.

In their defense, the Angels argue that despite Kay’s past conviction, autopsy results reveal Skaggs had consumed alcohol and oxycodone, and was misusing painkillers by snorting them. The team maintains that both Skaggs and Kay were off duty, and thus the actions that took place in the privacy of Skaggs’ hotel room were beyond their control.

This civil lawsuit, unfolding in a Santa Ana courtroom, seeks to claim hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. It emerges over six years after Skaggs, then just 27, was discovered lifeless in a suburban Dallas hotel room. His death occurred as the Angels were set to begin a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report revealed that Skaggs choked on his own vomit, with a lethal mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone found in his system.

Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in federal prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from Kay at various times from 2017 to 2019, the years he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.

After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board. The United States has been grappling with a wave of overdose deaths, many due to the potency of fentanyl, among young people, with overdoses reported as the leading cause of death for people 18-44 years old in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016, when the left-hander returned from Tommy John surgery. He struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time.

Before pitching for the Angels, Skaggs played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The trial is expected to take weeks and could include testimony from players including Angels outfielder Mike Trout and the team’s former pitcher, Wade Miley, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds.