Major leagues:
The family of former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs filed lawsuits Tuesday in Texas and California charging the team and two former employees with negligence in his drug-related death two years ago.
The lawsuits – filed by Skaggs’ parents in Texas and his wife in California – name the Angels organization as well as former Los Angeles communications directors Tim Mead and Eric Kay as defendants. Neither complaint specified how much money the family is seeking.
Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his suburban Dallas hotel room on July 1, 2019, before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers.
Kay was indicted by a federal grand jury in October on drug charges for allegedly providing Skaggs with the drugs that caused his overdose death.
Kay was charged with drug distribution and drug conspiracy in Skaggs’ overdose death, according to the indictment in Fort Worth, Texas. The charges carry a maximum of a life sentence and 20 years in prison, respectively. His trial is set to begin Aug. 16.
A coroner’s report said Skaggs had choked to death on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the drugs fentanyl and oxycodone in his system, which Kay was accused of providing.
Kay was the Angels’ director of communications, and he served as their public relations contact on many road trips. He was placed on leave shortly after Skaggs’ death, and he never returned to the team.
American League
Mariners pitcher suspended 10 games: Seattle Mariners pitcher Héctor Santiago became the first player disciplined under Major League Baseball’s crackdown on grip-enhancing foreign substances, given a 10-game suspension Tuesday.
Michael Hill, the former Marlins general manager who is senior vice president for on-field operations, announced the penalty two days after Santiago was ejected from a game at the Chicago White Sox. Santiago also was fined an undisclosed amount.
He appealed the decision to MLB special adviser John McHale Jr., and the suspension will be delayed until the appeal is decided.
Seattle manager Scott Servais insisted before Tuesday’s game against Toronto that there was no foreign substance on Santiago’s glove and that it was rosin.
Detroit-Cleveland ppd: Following a lengthy delay at the start, Tuesday night’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians was postponed by rain.
Only a light rain came down in Progressive Field before it was officially called after an 87-minute delay. The game has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, starting at 4 p.m.
Interleague
Jays acquire Dickerson: The Toronto Blue Jays acquired injured outfielder Corey Dickerson and reliever Adam Cimber in a trade Tuesday with the Miami Marlins.
Miami obtained infielder Joe Panik and minor league reliever Andrew McInvale.
Dickerson is sidelined with a bruised left foot and is expected to be in a walking boot for at least two more weeks. He is batting .260 with two homers and 14 RBIs.
Washington 4, Tampa Bay 3: Kyle Schwarber led off the first inning with his 12th home run in 10 games, and the Washington Nationals beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 to move above .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season.
Schwarber tied Albert Belle in 1995 for the most home runs over a 10-game span since at least 1901. He has 16 home runs in 18 games since being moved into the leadoff spot in the Nationals’ batting order on June 8.
Schwarber drove Rich Hill’s first pitch, an 83 mph fastball, 434 feet off the upper-deck facade in right for his major league-leading seventh leadoff home run – all in June. Schwarber’s 16 home runs this month are the second-most in any June behind Sammy Sosa’s 20 in 1998.