Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz died last week of an apparent drug overdose, according to a Phoenix police report obtained by the Baltimore Banner.
The police report said Matusz’s mother found him in his home on Jan. 6 when she went to check on him. The report states that Matusz, who was 37, was on his back on a couch with white substance in his mouth and aluminum foil, a lighter and a straw on the floor near his hand.
There were no apparent injuries, trauma or signs of foul play, according to the police report. But as part of the death investigation, Matusz’s body was taken to the medical examiner in Maricopa County.
Matusz, the No. 4 pick in the 2008 MLB draft, spent almost his entire eight-year career with the Orioles. He pitched in 279 games for Baltimore, making 68 starts.
He eventually became a reliever and was most known for his success against Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who went 4-for-29 (.138) with 13 strikeouts in his career against Matusz.
Matusz pitched in the 2012 and 2014 postseason for the Orioles and was traded to the Atlanta Braves in May 2016 and released a week later.
He signed with the Chicago Cubs, where he pitched in the minors except for one three-inning major league start on July 31, 2016.
Matusz’s pitching career ended in 2019.