The drug-related death of Tyler Skaggs has taken a new turn, with Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley now accused of providing drugs to the late Los Angeles Angels prospect. Skaggs, who died in 2019 at the age of 27 from an overdose, was central to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family against the Angels. His former agent, Ryan Hamill, revealed in a deposition that Skaggs admitted to using pain pills containing oxycodone, which he claimed were supplied by Miley.
Skaggs and Miley were teammates with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and 2013, and their paths crossed again when both played for the Angels. The wrongful death lawsuit also involves former Angels publicist Eric Kay, who was convicted of providing fentanyl-laced pills that contributed to Skaggs’ death. Kay received a 22-year federal prison sentence in 2022. During Kay’s sentencing, prosecutors presented a recording in which Kay stated that Miley was one of Skaggs’ drug suppliers.
Other teammates, including former Mets ace Matt Harvey, also testified in Kay’s trial that they provided drugs to Skaggs. Harvey, along with C.J. Cron, Mike Morin, and Cam Bedrosian, admitted supplying pills to Skaggs, with some of them also acknowledging they received drugs from him. The testimony revealed a culture of recreational drug use among the Angels’ roster, further complicating the ongoing legal proceedings.
Miley, now 38, signed a one-year contract with the Reds in June 2024 and is currently in the midst of a recovery from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. The Reds have not issued any statements regarding the allegations, and Miley has not responded to inquiries. Skaggs’ death remains a significant event in MLB’s history, raising concerns about the role of substance abuse in professional sports and the legal ramifications for those involved in drug distribution.