Phoenix police are investigating the stunning death of former Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz.
He was 37.
“I can confirm we responded to a dead body call at a home near 44th Street and Campbell Avenue” at about 2:45 p.m. MT on Monday, Phoenix Police Sgt. Phil Krynsky told NBC News.
“The deceased person found was indeed 37-year-old Brian Matusz. Currently, this incident is being handled as a death investigation.”
The cause and manner of death have yet to be determined, according to the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner.
The Orioles and the University of San Diego — where the southpaw became the most accomplished pitcher in program history from 2006-2008 — announced his death Tuesday.
USD said in a press release that Matusz’s family first shared the news that day.
“Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole Brian Matusz,” the Orioles said. “A staple in our clubhouse from 2009-2016, Brian was beloved throughout Birdland, and his passion for baseball and our community was unmatched. He dedicated his time to connecting with any fan he could, was a cherished teammate, and always had a smile on his face.”
Matusz made 279 of his 280 career appearances with the Orioles, who drafted the left-handed pitcher with the fourth overall pick in 2008.
He went 27-41 with a 4.92 ERA spanning an eight-season career from 2009-16.
Former Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who managed Matusz from 2010-16, said he spoke with many of Matusz’s Orioles teammates after learning of his death, adding that he was stunned by the news.
“Brian was engaging, smiled easily, had a lot of quiet self confidence,” Showalter told the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. “I don’t know. I’m kind of gathering my thoughts on it right now. … It’s tough. We all as we get older get in touch with our mortality. But it’s just too young.
“When something happens like this, I’ve always had a grip on reality, but this one, you kind of go, ‘Wow.’”
Matusz won a World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, which marked his final major-league season.
The Colorado native pitched for the Triple-A Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) the following season.
Matusz last pitched professionally with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League.
