Report: Ex-MLB Pitcher Likely Died of Overdose

UPDATE Jan 14, 2025 4:26 PM CST

Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz may have been another victim of the nation's overdose crisis. According to a police report obtained by the Baltimore Banner, the 37-year-old's mother found him dead from an apparent overdose in his Arizona home on Jan.6, "cold to the touch with a white substance in his mouth." The police report said Matusz was on a couch with aluminum foil, a lighter, and a straw on the floor near his hand, per ESPN. His mother, who took Matusz to the emergency room two days before his death, told police that he had a history of substance use but had been clean for around eight months. According to the police report, she said her son, whose MLB career ended in 2016, had made remarks like "there is nothing left for me" and he used to "have it all," the Banner reports.

Jan 8, 2025 11:59 AM CST

Brian Matusz, a beloved former pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, has died at the age of 37. The club announced the southpaw's death in a post on X late Tuesday. No cause of death has been disclosed. Matusz was initially selected by the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth round of the 2005 draft but chose to head to the University of San Diego, where he became the school's all-time leader in strikeouts with 396. He won 2008 West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year and was selected fourth overall in the draft the same year, heading to the Orioles, where he stayed until 2016. Matusz pitched in 279 games for Baltimore, including 68 starts, per ESPN.

"Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched," said the Orioles. "He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he could, was a cherished teammate and always had a smile on his face." He was perhaps "most known" for his impressive record against Hall of Fame slugger David "Big Papi" Ortiz, per ESPN. Ortiz struck out 13 times in 29 appearances against Matusz, collecting just four hits and a walk for .138 batting average, per NBC News. Matusz's only other MLB appearance was in pitching for the Chicago Cubs for three innings on July 31, 2016, months before the club would win the World Series. He pitched in the minor league until 2019. (More Baltimore Orioles stories.)