Shocking and sorrowful news out of the Major League Baseball universe today:
Tyler Skaggs, a starting pitcher for the Los Angele Angels, was found dead in his hotel room on Monday afternoon, hours before his team was scheduled to take on the Texas Rangers.
He was 27 years old.
No cause of death has been announced and authorities will soon conduct a thorough investigation, but sources confirm that no foul play is suspected in the tragic death.
“The Southlake Police Department responded to a call of an unconscious male in a room in the Hilton Hotel,” authorities confirmed in a statement this evening, adding:
“Officers arrived and found the male unresponsive and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The game between the two teams was postponed for a later date.
And the Angels released a statement of their own that reads as follows:
It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas.
Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time.
On Sunday, Skaggs shared a picture to his Instagram page featuring his Angels teammates, who were all dressed in cowboy attire, outside of an airport before their scheduled game against the Rangers.
"Howdy y’all #TexasRoadtrip," he wrote as a caption to the snapshot.
He had just taken to the mound to pitch on Saturday against the Oakland A's, giving up two runs in 4.1 innings.
Overall on the season, Skaggs has seven wins and seven losses and had compiled a 4.29 ERA.
For his career, Skaggs won 28 games in just over six years.
Skaggs was drafted by the Angels in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
He made his professional debut in 2012 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played until 2013, prior to returning to the Angels ... where he's played ever since (he missed the 2015 season due to surgery).
After this awful news went public, numerous athletes and fellow players reacted with shock on social media.
Wrote Bryce Harper:
"By far the nastiest prep arm I ever faced. My thoughts and prayers go out to Tyler's family! Gone too soon!"
And Treavor Bauer:
"We came up together. We won together. We laughed and celebrated together. Today, we all lose and mourn together. Your memory, your love for life, everything that made you, you, will live forever in the hearts and minds of those who knew you. Rest In Peace brother. We love you."
And Ender Inciarte:
"Terrible news. Unbelievable person and teammate. So sad to hear something like this. RIP brother."
Added the Rangers as an organization:
"The Texas Rangers organization wants to express its deepest sympathies to the family of Tyler Skaggs and to the entire Angels organization on this shocking loss.
"The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Texas Rangers and all of their fans are with the Angels organization at this difficult time."
Skaggs is survived by his wife, Carli Skaggs, and parents Debbie and Darrell Skaggs.
May he rest in peace.