The trial of former Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay continued on Tuesday with testimonies from current and former big-league players, including Matt Harvey, C.J. Cron, Mike Morin, and Cam Bedrosian. Kay is alleged to have supplied the drugs that led to pitcher Tyler Skaggs' death in 2019.
Harvey, who acknowledged that he was granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation, detailed his history of discussing substance use with Skaggs during their shared time with the Angels, be it through the form of partying or pain management according to ESPN's T.J. Quinn. That relationship led to Harvey trying oxycodone that he obtained from Skaggs, but he claimed that he did not enjoy the experience.
Harvey stated that he would provide Skaggs with Percocet pills, and that painkiller usage was common among players in 2019. He also told the court about how, after being told he wasn't traveling with the Angels on what proved to be that fateful road trip, he asked Kay for an oxycodone pill. When Harvey woke up the following morning and heard about Skaggs' death, he told the court that he threw away the pill because he feared something would happen to him, per Sam Blum of The Athletic.
Harvey said he wished he had told Skaggs to be careful, but thought he was being a "good teammate" at the time because "guys are constantly doing what they can to stay on the field," according to Quinn. Harvey also detailed taking the pain killers in the clubhouse, and said that Skaggs would crush and snort pills in the bathroom.
Cron, Morin, and Bedrosian, for their parts, also testified that they had received opioid pills from Kay during their time with the Angels. (Cron, additionally, said he received pills from Kay on a later occasion, while he played with the Tampa Bay Rays.)
None of the players said they were aware if Skaggs had another, non-Kay source for obtaining drugs, as has been claimed by the defense.
