Brian Matusz, former Baltimore Orioles player, dies at 37

Former Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz has died. He was 37.

The Orioles, with whom Matusz played from 2009 to 2016, announced his death in a declaration Tuesday, January 7.

“Our hearts are heavy tonight as we mourn the passing of former Oriole Brian Matusz,” the statement began.

“A fixture 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 every fan he could, was a beloved teammate and always had a smile on his face.”

PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How fast can you solve it? Play now!

The team concluded their statement by extending their thoughts and prayers to Matusz’s family and friends during “this difficult time.”

According to Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN)’s Roch Kubatko, Matusz died on Tuesday morning. A cause of death has not been released.

The left-handed pitcher was first drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth round of the 2005 MLB Draft, but chose to play baseball at the University of San Diego, where he played for three years, according to MLB.

He finished his collegiate career as a two-time finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, the school’s all-time leader in strikeouts (396), and won West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2008.

Matusz was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft, and made his MLB debut in August 2009.

Sore MLBhe played in 280 regular season games throughout his career, starting 69 of them. He also played for two Orioles’ Postseason teams (2012 and 2014) and made seven total postseason appearances. His overall ERA was 4.92.

He was traded to the Atlanta Braves in May 2016 and released a week later, per MLB. He then signed with the Cubs, where he started for one game.

Never miss a story – sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Matsuz spent 2017 pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A team in Reno, according to MLB. He also started in the Mexican League before ending his professional baseball career with the Long Island Ducks in 2019.