Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout reflected on the “emotional” aftermath of his former teammate Tyler Skaggs’ death in 2019 as he took the stand Tuesday, Oct. 21, becoming the first Angels player to testify in the team’s civil trial, per ESPN.
The Skaggs family is suing the organization for $118 million in a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming the Angels knowingly kept employing Eric Kay — the team’s former communications director now serving a 22-year prison sentence for providing Skaggs with fentanyl-laced oxycodone — despite internal awareness of his drug issues.
Trout, 34, testified that before Skaggs’ fatal overdose, an Angels employee had warned him about concerns surrounding Kay’s substance abuse. The outfielder said he personally spoke with Kay afterward, urging him to seek help. “You have to get this right,” Trout recalled telling him. “You’ve got two boys at home.”
His testimony, which lasted roughly two hours, detailed several interactions with both Skaggs and Kay in the months leading up to the tragedy. According to ESPN, members of Skaggs’ family were visibly emotional during Trout’s statements, shedding tears as the courtroom revisited the events surrounding the pitcher’s death.
Trout reportedly grew emotional on the stand as he shared “lighthearted memories” of his friendship with Tyler Skaggs, according to ESPN.
The Angels outfielder recalled that the last time he saw Skaggs was on an elevator at the team’s hotel the night before the pitcher’s death. The following morning, Trout said, he broke down in tears upon learning of Skaggs’ passing during a team meeting.
“It hit me hard,” Trout told the jury, describing the heartbreak of losing a close friend and teammate whose presence had been such a big part of the clubhouse.
When news of Skaggs’ death broke, Trout reflected on the deeply emotional game that followed, when Skaggs’ mother, Debbie, delivered the ceremonial first pitch. That night, Trout hit a home run in his late friend’s honor.
In court on Tuesday, Trout said the moment was bittersweet. “It felt good to hit a homer,” he told the jury. “But emotional.”
The three-time MVP also testified that he never saw Skaggs use any substances beyond marijuana and alcohol, and that he was shocked to learn that some Angels players had been using other drugs. Trout added that he “may have heard” Eric Kay was sometimes asked by players to obtain Viagra through a doctor, according to ESPN.
In 2022, multiple former Angels players accused Eric Kay of supplying oxycodone within the organization.
During opening statements in the current trial, attorney Shawn Holley argued that the Angels’ decision to keep Kay employed despite warnings about his drug use placed Tyler Skaggs “directly in harm’s way.” Holley contended that the team failed to act on clear signs of Kay’s substance abuse, ultimately leading to the circumstances surrounding Skaggs’ death.
According to ESPN, Angels attorney Todd Theodora argued that the organization should not be held accountable for the actions of its employees or players outside of work hours.
Theodora asserted that team officials had no knowledge of Tyler Skaggs’ drug use or that Eric Kay had been providing substances to players. He told the court that Skaggs “made the decision to obtain the illicit pills and take the illicit drugs along with the alcohol the night he died.”
PEOPLE has reached out to both the Los Angeles Angels and a representative for Mike Trout for comment.