Phoenix Police: Former Oriole's death likely drug related.

 (Sports Illustrated 1/13)

The death of former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz came out of nowhere, as he was just 37 years old.

On Monday, the cause of death was revealed and reported by outlets, including the Baltimore Sun.

The Sun reported that Matusz likely died of a drug overdose on Jan. 7, according to a report filed by the city of Phoenix police department.

The report said that Matusz was found on the couch of his Arizona home by his mother and that there was drug paraphernalia around him. Along with that, there was reportedly a white substance in his mouth

The paraphernalia indicated a lighter and straw. Investigators also found fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine around his body.

Worse, it appears that Matusz was taken to a local emergency room two days before he died. The report did not indicate why he was taken to the hospital, but he was discharged. It was recommended that he seek mental health assistance. He was taken to a behavioral health hospital, but he was not admitted.

The report also noted that two days before he went to the hospital, he told his mother that “there is nothing left for me.”

He made his Major League debut with the Orioles in 2009 at 22 years old and went 5-2 in eight games with a 4.63 ERA. He remained with Baltimore for the bulk of his career, with his best season coming in 2010 when he went 10-12 with a 4.30 ERA in 32 starts. He finished fifth in AL rookie of the year voting.

But he never approached what the Orioles were hoping for as a first-round pick.

He went 27-41 with a 4.92 ERA in his career with Baltimore, which ended with him as an effective middle reliever in his final two seasons with the franchise.

In 2016 the Orioles traded him to Atlanta, which designated him for assignment. He hooked up with the Chicago Cubs but was DFA’d after one start.

He never pitched in the Majors again, though he pitched in the minors with Arizona in 2017 and in the Mexican League in 2019.