Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley has been identified as one of the alleged suppliers of drugs to Tyler Skaggs, who died from an overdose in 2019. This information emerged from a deposition given by former agent Ryan Hamill, who indicated that Skaggs was using painkillers that contained oxycodone, reportedly provided by Miley.
This deposition is part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Skaggs family against the Los Angeles Angels, where both Skaggs and Miley were teammates during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Miley expressed his condolences, stating, “I hate what happened to Tyler. That’s terrible. My thoughts are with his family and friends.” He added that he wouldn’t address rumors about him or discuss anything he had not witnessed personally, emphasizing that he has never been accused of any wrongdoing.
In a related case, former Angels spokesperson Eric Kay was convicted in Texas for distributing pills that were found to be laced with fentanyl in relation to Skaggs’ death. He was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison in 2022.
Miley, who has not faced any criminal charges, mentioned that this isn’t the first time his name has surfaced in discussions surrounding Skaggs’ death. During Kay’s trial, prosecutors included records of conversations where Kay identified Miley as one of Skaggs’ drug dealers.
Furthermore, former Mets pitcher Matt Harvey admitted in Kay’s trial to supplying drugs to Skaggs, who he played alongside at the Angels in the year of his death. Testimonies from Harvey and others indicated a broader issue of drug use among the team, with multiple players acknowledging they had received drugs from Kay.
Miley recently signed a one-year contract with the Reds on June 4 and has appeared in two games this season. He previously underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in May 2024 and signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati in February.
Tragically, Skaggs was just 27 years old when he passed away in a hotel room before a game against the Texas Rangers in South Lake, Texas.
