As the Los Angeles Angels mourn the sudden and tragic passing of pitcher Tyler Skaggs earlier this month, two of Skaggs' teammates paid tribute to his life and memory at Tuesday's All-Star Game in Cleveland.
Mike Trout and Tommy La Stella represented the Angels at the Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, and both of them wore Skaggs' No. 45 on the back of their jerseys during the contest. It was a subtle but fantastic way of honoring the pitcher, who spent the last six years in the Angels' organization.
A tribute to Tyler Skaggs at the #AllStarGame.@MikeTrout and Tommy La Stella will both wear 45 tonight. pic.twitter.com/Hq03egHOgX
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 9, 2019
In addition to tribute from his teammates, Skaggs was honored with a moment of silence before first pitch, as well as with No. 45 patches on the uniform of every player participating in the game.
Skaggs, 27, was found unresponsive in his hotel room on July 1 as the Angels were in Texas to play the Rangers. He was pronounced dead on the scene. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but the Southlake Police Department have ruled out suicide or foul play.
Trout, who is the face of the Angels' franchise, has been open about his struggles to process the sudden death of his teammate, but said Tuesday's All-Star Game might be beneficial for the healing process.
"I knew Tyler would want me to be here and represent the Angels," Trout said Monday, via USA Today. "It's also good to help me get my mind off things and spend some time with family and friends."