Newlywed wife of LA Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs shared a tragic final photo of him dressed as a cowboy with a loving message just hours before he was found dead in his Texas hotel room aged 27
- Carli Skaggs, wife of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, posted the photo of him on her Instagram story on Sunday
- Skaggs, who married his wife in December, was pictured posing in a cowboy shirt, hat and boots before flying to Texas
- He then posted his own cowboy-themed Instagram post of him and his teammates preparing to board a jet to fly to Texas for their four game series
- Hours before the Angels were scheduled to play the Rangers on Monday, Skaggs was found dead in his Hilton hotel room at about 2pm on Monday
- Police do not suspect foul play or suicide but the investigation is ongoing
- The Angels' Monday game against the Texas Rangers has been postponed
- Skaggs had persevered through injuries to become a valuable pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels
- He had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016 when the left-hander returned from Tommy John surgery
The wife of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs posted a tragic last picture of her husband dressed as a cowboy before he departed for his ill-fated trip to Texas, where he was discovered dead in his hotel room.
Skaggs, who married his wife Carli in December, was pictured posing in a cowboy shirt, hat and boots on Sunday night.
Carli posted the photo on her Instagram story with the caption 'hey good lookin' and 'I've got horses in the back' in reference to his upcoming trip.
Soon after, Skaggs posted his own cowboy-themed Instagram post of him and his teammates preparing to board a jet to fly to Texas for their four game series against the Rangers and Houston Astros this weekend.
Hours before the Angels were scheduled to play the Rangers on Monday, Skaggs was found dead in his Hilton hotel room in the Dallas suburb of Southlake.
Carli Skaggs, the wife of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, posted a photo of him with the caption 'hey good lookin' just one day before he was found dead in his Texas hotel room on Monday afternoon
Skaggs, who married his wife Carli in December, was found dead in his Hilton hotel room in the Dallas suburb of Southlake on Monday afternoon
Police said the 27-year-old was found unresponsive in his room and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities do not suspect foul play or suicide but the investigation is ongoing.
In a recorded 911 call obtained by The Blast, dispatchers can be heard calling the situation a 'medical emergency'. During a second 911 call a dispatcher categorizes it as a 'possible death investigation'.
'It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas,' the Angels said in a statement late Monday afternoon.
'Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels Family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family during this devastating time.'
Skaggs had persevered through injuries to become a valuable pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels.
Skaggs, who would have turned 28 on July 13, 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 in that time but was 7-7 with a 4.29 ERA in 15 starts this season to help an injury-plagued rotation.
Skaggs posted this photo with his teammates getting ready to board a plane to Texas the day before he died. The Angels were set to play the Rangers in Arlington on Monday, but the game has been postponed. Skaggs is seen third from right in a black shirt with a cowboy hat
Skaggs had persevered through injuries to become a valuable pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels. He is seen pitching at his final game Sunday at home against the Oakland Athletics
The Angels' were set to play the Texas Rangers on Monday but the match up has been postponed until August following news of his death.
Angels players and coaches who had arrived at the Rangers' ballpark in Arlington for the series opener left about four hours before the scheduled start of the game to return to their hotel. The clubhouse was never opened to the media.
The Rangers' clubhouse also was closed when general manager Jon Daniels and manager Chris Woodward told their players what had happened and dismissed them.
Woodward described it as 'one of those moments where you're just kind of numb' and said the Rangers were thinking about Skaggs' family and the Angels organization, ESPN reports.
'There were a lot of pretty emotional guys in there, you could tell. Some guys knew him. (Jesse Chavez) had actually played with him in LA,' Woodward said. 'Some guys that didn't even know him were visibly shaken. You could tell.'
'I'm in utter shock and disbelief,' general manager Billy Eppler told the Los Angeles Times while fighting back tears on Monday night.
Carli Skaggs has remained silent in the hours since her husband's death. The pair are pictured dancing at their wedding in December
Skaggs was reportedly found unresponsive in his hotel room at the Hilton Southlake (pictured)
'It's just a very tragic day for the Angels, a tragic day for his wife, Carli, his mother Debbie [and for] Carli's mom. Just a tragic day for everybody because this young man touched a lot of peoples' lives, and you're going to start to see the impact he's had on people in the coming days.'
'I am deeply saddened by today's tragedy in Texas,' MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
'All of us at Major League Baseball extend our deepest condolences to Tyler's wife Carli, their family, their friends and all of his Angels teammates and colleagues.
'We will support the Angels organization through this most difficult period, and we will make a variety of resources available to Tyler's teammates and other members of the baseball family.'
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The news was met with dozens of other tributes from teams and players who knew Skaggs.
'My heart is crushed. Life is so unpredictable and we should never take anything for granted,' Delino Deshields, center-fielder for the Rangers wrote on Instagram. 'This isn't just a loss just for the Los Angeles Angels but a loss for our entire baseball family and community. It was a pleasure to have competed against you over the past 5 years. You were a true competitor and my thoughts and prayers will forever be with you and your family. Rest in paradise brother.'
Oakland A's pitcher James Kaprielian retweeted the Angels' statement and wrote: 'Can't even believe this.'
Rene Rivera, catcher for the New York Mets, tweeted: 'I am heartbroken to learn the news of the passing of teammate Tyler Skaggs. Praying for his family to find peace in such a hard moment. Sad moment for baseball.'
Fan Pete Soto adds to a make- shift memorial at Angels Stadium in Anaheim on Monday
The make-shift memorial outside of Skaggs' home stadium grew rapidly Monday afternoon
Dedicated fans Brieanna Gray and Karl Arriola are seen mourning Skaggs outside the stadium
Skaggs pitched five innings Saturday during his final game at home against the Oakland Athletics.
Wearing number 45, Skaggs had gone 7-7 this year in 15 starts, recording a 4.29 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 79 2/3 innings.
The native of Woodland Hills in the Los Angeles area graduated from Santa Monica High School in 2009 and was drafted by the Angels in the first round.
He was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in August 2010 and made his MLB debut two years later before being traded back to the Angels in 2013.
Skaggs has been part of the team's regular pitching rotation since returning from Tommy John elbow surgery in 2016.
His death comes 10 years after another Angels pitcher, Nick Adenhart, was killed in a 2009 car crash.
Jose Fernandez, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Miami Marlins, was killed in boating crash near Miami Beach, Florida, in September 2016.
Pitcher Darryl Kile, who played in the majors for 12 seasons (1992-2002) was on the road with the St. Louis Cardinals when he died in June 2002 in his Chicago hotel room. Albert Pujols, now a member of the Angels, was Kile's teammate then.
The Angels released the statement above on Twitter hours after Skaggs' death
Major League Baseball's official Twitter account also shared a tribute to Skaggs
Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes said he feels 'sick' about Skagg's passing
Nelson Cruz, right fielder for the Twins, tweeted an undated photo from when he, Skaggs and their teammates visited children in the hospital
FOX Sports reporter Alex Curry, who interviewed Skaggs several times, tweeted a tribute
The Cleveland Indian's All-Star pitcher Trevor Bauer reacted to Skaggs' sudden death
Members of the San Diego Padres stand during a moment of silence for Skaggs before a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Monday in San Diego
Dinelson Lamet, Manuel Margot and Fernando Tatis Jr of the San Diego Padres pay tribute
