Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs had posted a photo of himself and teammates in cowboy hats for their week-long trip to Texas where he was set to start on the Fourth of July holiday.
But the 27-year-old pitcher died on the weekend, when he was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Texas.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said they are investigating, but no foul play is suspected at this time.
Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels' starting rotation since late 2016, when he returned from Tommy John surgery.
He struggled with injuries repeatedly over the past three MLB seasons, but persevered to become a valuable starter in Los Angeles' injury-plagued rotation.