Major League Baseball announced Tuesday the suspension of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Matt Harvey for 60 games without pay for “participating in the distribution of a prohibited Drug of Abuse” in violation of the league’s drug policy.
The start date of Harvey’s suspension is retroactive to April 29, making him eligible to return in late June.
Harvey was one of four players to testify in federal court in February that former Los Angeles Angels communications director Eric Kay provided drugs that contributed to the death of Tyler Skaggs. Kay was later found guilty on charges of drug distribution and drug conspiracy.
Harvey was granted immunity for his testimony, in which he said he used cocaine in the early years of his career and that he shared Percocet pills — a mix of oxycodone and acetaminophen — with Skaggs during the 2019 season.
Harvey, along with former Angels players C.J. Cron, Mike Morin and Cam Bedrosian, testified that they received opioids from Kay and that they believed he supplied them to Skaggs, who died during the 2019 season while the Angels were on a road trip to play the Texas Rangers.
Skaggs died of asphyxia and oxycodone, fentanyl and alcohol were found in his system.
Harvey testified that he had a pill supplied by Kay in his locker in Anaheim. When he learned of Skaggs’ death, he retrieved it and disposed of it.
A former 2013 All-Star pitcher with the New York Mets, Harvey joined the Orioles in 2021 and went 6-14 with a 6.27 ERA in 28 starts. He re-signed with Baltimore at the start of the 2022 season but has yet to play this year.
–Field Level Media