Having learned Sunday that the Los Angeles Angels were sending him back down to the Salt Lake Bees, pitcher Luke Bard shared a goodbye hug with his locker neighbor, Tyler Skaggs.
Skaggs, 27, died Monday of an unknown cause in a hotel room in Arlington, Texas, where the Angels had traveled to begin a four-game series vs. Texas. Bard and the Bees returned Thursday to Smith’s Ballpark, as manager Lou Marson and his players continued to process a stunning development in the Angels organization.
Because of Skaggs' personality, his death hit home for a big chunk of the Bees' roster.