Tyler Skaggs’ death revisited as MLB partners with White House to reduce opioid overdoses

Members of Tyler Skaggs’ family, from left, wife, Carli; mother, Debbie Hetman; and Danny Hetman, join in a moment of silence in Tyler’s honor before the Angels’ home game against the Seattle Mariners on July 12, 2019. It’s been nearly five years since Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an accidental overdose of oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl in a Texas hotel room. “We are proud of the efforts across @MLB to save lives by committing to increasing training on and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medications, like naloxone, and by supporting organizations like @SongforCharlie. The initiative has been criticized on social media as a public relations stunt because it’s unclear whether anyone associated with an MLB team has had naloxone administered during an overdose. Coyles, however, pushed back, saying addressing opioid addiction and overdoses is an important public health issue worthy of MLB’s efforts.