Tributes have poured in for MLB star Brian Matusz, who died aged 37 on January 7.
The sudden passing of the former Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs pitcher was announced by the Orioles – who he played for from 2009 until 2016 – in a heartfelt statement on social media.
A cause of death has not been released.
"Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole Brian Matusz," the statement began on X.
"A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched."
The statement continued: "He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he could, was a cherished teammate, and always had a smile on his face. Brian's family and loved ones are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time."
© Getty ImagesMLB bosses also issued a statement following news of his death, writing on X: "We are devastated to learn of the passing of former Major League pitcher Brian Matusz.
"Matusz, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, spent a majority of his eight seasons with the Orioles. He won his Major League debut on August 4, 2009, as he gave up just one run in five innings.
© Getty Images"Matusz pitched in 280 regular season games throughout his career, starting in 69 of them. He pitched for two Orioles' Postseason teams (2012 and 2014), making seven total Postseason appearances out of the bullpen. He made his last Major League appearance with the Cubs in 2016. He was 37 years old."
According to MLB, Brian was first drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels but opted to play baseball at the University of San Diego for three years instead.
© Getty ImagesHe ended his collegiate career by winning the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2008. He was also a two-time finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the school's all-time leader in strikeouts (396), and a finalist for the Roger Clemens Award, given to college baseball's pitcher of the year.
In 2007, he won a silver medal pitching for the United States in the Rio de Janeiro Pan American Games.
© Getty ImagesFollowing his time with the Orioles, Brian was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2016 but was released a week later, and he signed on with the Cubs, pitching in the Minors except for one final big league start on the last day of July, states MLB.
He later pitched for Triple-A Reno in the D-backs' organization in 2017, then made one start in the Mexican League and nine more with the independent Long Island Ducks in 2019 before retiring.
