It's been nearly five years since Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs died of an accidental overdose of oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl in a Texas hotel room. Yet the impact of the tragedy and revelations during the ensuing trial of Angels employee Eric Kay that Skaggs and several other players were supplied with opioids is still being felt.
The initiative has been criticized on social media as a public relations stunt because it's unclear whether anyone associated with an MLB team has had naloxone administered during an overdose. Coyles, however, pushed back, saying addressing opioid addiction and overdoses is an important public health issue worthy of MLB's efforts.