Angels' Andrew Heaney pays tribute to late teammate Tyler Skaggs with first pitch

In his first start since Tyler Skaggs’ death, teammate and best friend Andrew Heaney paid tribute to Skaggs in a special way.

With his first pitch to Houston Astros’ leadoff hitter George Springer, Heaney dropped a sweeping curve in honor of his late teammate. Heaney, clearly emotional, threw the pitch for a ball before getting into rhythm.

The curveball was a signature pitch of Skaggs, who often used it as a put-away pitch.

Heaney also wrote Skaggs’ initials on the mound prior to pitching along with a tribute on his hat.

He also shaved his facial hair ahead of his start, per reports.

In the postgame, catcher Dustin Garneau said he told the umpire and Springer of Heaney’s plans. Springer was permitted to hit, but chose to take the pitch.

"Obviously the Angels are dealing with a hard thing right now so I don't like to talk about it,” Springer said. “But for a guy like [Heaney], I absolutely respect him. It's an honor to be a part of it and I hope he got something out of it. It's just a good moment for our sport."

Heaney told The Athletic that he wanted to pay tribute to his friend by throwing what he was known for.

“When you talk about Skaggs in the baseball world, the first thing everybody would talk about was his curveball,” Heaney said. “That was his calling card, that was his claim to fame. I thought it would be kind of cool. Honestly, it was just something that felt right.”

Heaney also paid tribute on Tuesday

On Tuesday, prior to the Angels’ first game following Skaggs’ death, Heaney and teammate Cam Bedrosian carried Skaggs’ jersey out to the field for the pregame ceremony.

Following the game, Heaney told reporters that he wanted to take Skaggs out to the field with the team one more time.

“He meant so much to all of us,” Heaney said. “He was definitely my best friend.”

Other tributes to Skaggs roll in

Heaney’s first pitch is one of several tributes that have taken place in honor of Skaggs.

Earlier this week, former teammate Patrick Corbin changed his uniform number to 45 to honor Skaggs. Skaggs wore No. 45 on the Angels and was drafted alongside Corbin in 2009.

The Angels announced that they would wear a patch honoring Skaggs for the remainder of the season. The red patch is complete with Skaggs’ No. 45 and name.

At Venice Beach, an unnamed artist painted a mural dedicated to Skaggs. The mural features Skaggs in a Santa Monica High School Vikings uniform on one end as well as his Angels uniform on the other.

Fans flocked to Angel Stadium and created a makeshift memorial for Skaggs. Meanwhile, players past and present from around the league have paid their respects on social media.

Skaggs found dead on Monday

Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room on Monday just hours before the Angels were set to take on the Texas Rangers. He was 27 years old.

The circumstances surrounding Skaggs’ death are unclear, including its cause. An autopsy on Skaggs began on Tuesday, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner. However, it won’t be completed until October. Skaggs’ family has requested that autopsy information be withheld until then, per USA Today.

The Angels resumed play on Tuesday and will return home for the first time after the All-Star break to begin a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners.

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