Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz’s cause of death was likely a drug overdose, according to a police report cited by The Baltimore Banner on Monday.
The 37-year-old was found dead in his Arizona home with a white substance in his mouth alongside a lighter, straw and aluminum foil, the report stated.
Matusz’s mother said in the Phoenix Police Department report that days before his death, he lamented that he used to “have it all” and “there is nothing left for me” as he tried to adjust to life without baseball, according to the Banner.
Matusz had been clean for eight months but struggled with substance abuse, she said in the report.
The team announced last week that Matusz had died, writing on X, “Our hearts our heavy.”
Matusz showed promise as a starter and later distinguished himself as a reliever, pitching in 279 games total for the Orioles between 2009 and 2016.
He also pitched in the postseason for the Orioles, appearing in all five games against the New York Yankees in the ALDS in 2012. He returned to the playoffs with the O’s in 2014.
