The cause of death for former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz has been revealed.
Matusz died after a suspected drug overdose, according to a report from The Baltimore Banner. Their report says Matusz was found dead at his home in Phoenix, Arizona, by his mother, who went to check on him on January 6. The former pitcher reportedly had a white substance in his mouth and drug paraphernalia in his hand, such as a lighter, straw and a small square of aluminum foil.
According to the police report, Matusz’s mother took her son to the hospital on January 4 after he had expressed signs of depression. He apparently had a history of substance abuse but was said to have been clean for eight months.
Matusz’s death was announced by the Orioles on January 7. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft and taken one spot before the Giants selected Buster Posey.
Matusz spent his first seven full seasons with the Orioles from 2009 to 2015. He also started the 2016 campaign on Baltimore’s roster but was traded to the Atlanta Braves midseason. While Matusz was eventually released by the Braves before throwing a pitch for them, he was later signed by the Chicago Cubs, who ended up winning the World Series that year.
Matusz had a career ERA of 4.92 with 462 strikeouts in 528.2 innings pitched.
He received some nice notes of condolences upon his death.
Still shocked at the passing of my friend Brian Matusz. He housed me on 3 separate occasions while we were teammates and was always there for me. I’ll never forget his jovial personality. He was gentle and funny, a solid friend. The best LH CH I ever caught. RIP my friend. pic.twitter.com/in1OlQmRX5
— Caleb Joseph (@YYZBackstop) January 9, 2025
Over the years I have heard, literally, hundreds of stories about Brian Matusz engaging with fans, helping those less fortunate, giving back to the community, etc. This was both during and after his MLB career. A genuinely great person taken far too soon.
— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) January 8, 2025
