The trial of former Angels employee Eric Kay began yesterday. Kay was indicted due to his connection to the death of left-handed pitcher Tyler Skaggs. He was accused of giving Skaggs counterfeit drugs that ultimately caused his death.
During the trial opening, Kay’s Defense Attorney dropped a bombshell. The Defense Attorney stated that Skagg’s former teammate, right-handed pitcher Matt Harvey, was to be named as a “possible drug source” for Skaggs. Kay claims that on the night before Skaggs’ death, he had inquired about a handful of pink pills in Skaggs’ possession, to which Skaggs allegedly replied, “Those are percocets I got from Harvey.” Kay’s lawyers are also saying that Skaggs was his drug dealer at the time.
Harvey is set to be called in as a witness at some point later this week.
This isn’t the first time Harvey has been at the center of controversy. In 2015, as the ace of the Mets, he skipped a team workout ahead of the NLDS against the Dodgers. Fast-forward to 2018, Harvey had been struggling and it got to the point where then-Mets manager Mickey Callaway, who recently was accused of sexual misconduct, decided to pull Harvey from the Mets rotation. Instead of accepting the reality of the situation, Harvey initially refused the demotion to the ‘pen, before he ultimately was moved there anyway. He was later let go and picked up by the Reds before signing with the Angels for the 2019 season.
But all that controversy pales in comparison to the allegations Harvey faces in regards to Skaggs’ death.
Skaggs, who died at the age of 27 on July 1, 2019, pitched seven years in the major leagues with the Diamondbacks and the Angels, posting a WAR of 3.2, a record of 28-38, and a 4.41 lifetime ERA.
After 2019, Harvey left the Angels and signed a deal with the Royals. Last year with the Orioles, Harvey went 6-14 with an abysmal 6.27 ERA.
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