Cincinnati Reds pitcher Wade Miley recently responded to allegations suggesting he was an early source of drugs for his former teammate Tyler Skaggs, who tragically died of a drug overdose in 2019 at the age of 27.
The accusations surfaced on Thursday and Miley, now 38, addressed them the following day. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Miley firmly denied any involvement, stating he had no knowledge of what occurred and was never a witness in the matter. He also expressed sympathy for Skaggs’ loved ones.
“I hate what happened to Tyler,” Miley said Friday. “It sucks. My thoughts are with his family and friends. But I’m not going to discuss things people might have said about me. I was never a witness to anything, and I’ve never been accused of any wrongdoing.”
Nightengale further reported that Miley’s name was mentioned in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ family against the Los Angeles Angels. Skaggs’ former agent, Ryan Hamill, testified that Skaggs had told him in 2013 he received Percocet pills from Miley. The claim suggests Miley may have been among the first to supply Skaggs with prescription drugs.
“(Skaggs) came clean,” Hamill testified. “He said he had been using – I believe it was Percocets – and he said he got them through Wade Miley.”
Skaggs’ family is pursuing $210 million in damages, following the revelation that former Angels communications director Eric Kay had allegedly provided Skaggs with a pill laced with fentanyl.
Miley and Skaggs were teammates on the Arizona Diamondbacks during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Skaggs later joined the Los Angeles Angels, where he played for five years.
