AROUND THE HORN
Angels: Six weeks before the trial of a former Angels employee is scheduled to start in connection with the overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, federal prosecutors have accused the team of refusing to comply with a subpoena seeking information about members of the organization potentially distributing drugs. “Put simply, it strains credulity to accept any assertion that the Angels organization has not a single document, record, or report for months after one of its pitchers overdosed and died on a trip taken by the team,” the motion said, “for months after (ex-communications director Eric) Kay confessed to another Angels employee that he was in (Skaggs’) room late on June 30, 2019, and witnessed (Skaggs) ingesting drugs; and for weeks after learning about allegations of drug distribution by employee(s) within the organization.” The motion, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, asks the court to order the team to produce documents related to “drug distribution within the (Angels) organization” by next Monday. In an emailed statement to the Los Angeles Times Ariel Neuman, a former federal prosecutor with Bird Marella representing the Angels, said: “We strongly disagree with the government’s filing and will address this matter in court.” Prosecutors subpoenaed the Angels in late July before Kay’s trial was scheduled to begin in mid-August on felony counts of conspiring to “possesses with the intent to distribute and to distribute” fentanyl since at least 2017 and distributing the fentanyl that led to Skaggs’ death in a Southlake, Texas, hotel room on July 1, 2019, before the Angels were scheduled to start a series with the Rangers.
The trial was subsequently pushed back to Oct. 4. Kay has pleaded not guilty. This subpoena sought: “Any of all documents, records, reports, and information made, commissioned, or obtained by Angels Baseball, LP regarding the distribution of drugs by any Angels Baseball, LP employees or contractors or otherwise within the organization.” The request takes on new relevance in light of last week’s court filing by prosecutors saying “approximately” five MLB players would testify to receiving oxycodone from Kay between 2017 and 2019.
Cardinals: All-Star C Yadier Molina is returning for a 19th season with the Cardinals after agreeing to a one-year, $10 million extension. Molina, 39, has spent his entire career with the Cardinals. The only two players to play more games in a Cardinals uniform in franchise history are Hall of Famers Stan Musial (3,026) and Lou Brock (2,289).
Diamondbacks: LHP Caleb Smith was suspended 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount for having a foreign substance on his glove during a game last week. Smith’s suspension is the second this season as MLB cracks down on pitchers using sticky substances to get a better grip. He has elected to appeal. The Mariners’ Hector Santiago had his 10-game ban issued upheld after an appeal.
Extra innings: The Mets activated SS Francisco Lindor from the injured list after missing five weeks with a right oblique strain. ... The Rays activated DH Nelson Cruz from the COVID-19 list and placed 1B Ji-Man Choi on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain . ... The Brewers placed INF Eduardo Escobar on the IL with a strained right hamstring.