Amid the ongoing trial over the death of former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs, Matt Harvey was granted immunity in order to testify in the case against former Angels employee Eric Kay. Kay is accused of having sold Skaggs the drugs that led to his overdose back in 2019. When Harvey took the stand, he opened up about his own history of drug abuse and his battles with depression during his time with the New York Mets. Harvey even revealed that he openly talked about taking his own life while with the Mets, via the NY Post.
Former Mets manager Terry Collins acknowledged Harvey's talk of suicide, saying, “Certainly, that was addressed,” Collins said. “Again, it’s Matt, and one time he talked about, ‘I should just kill myself.’ That’s kind of a common excuse. You try to deal with it the best you can. We certainly tried to get him help, get him some assistance.”
In his testimony, Harvey admitted to having used cocaine throughout his Mets' tenure and even revealed that he had supplied Skaggs with Percocets and oxycodone in 2019. Looking back at the interaction, Harvey expressed remorse that he didn't warn Skaggs to be careful.
“Obviously looking back, I wish I had,” Harvey said. “… Guys are constantly doing what they can to stay on the field. At the time I thought I was being a good teammate.”
Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas in July of 2019. The toxicology report indicated that Skaggs choked on his own vomit while under the influence of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol. He was 27 years old.
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