Former Baltimore Orioles player Brian Matusz dies at 37

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

The Orioles, for whom Matusz played from 2009 to 2016, announced his death in a statement on Tuesday, January 7.

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

“Brian, a staple in our clubhouse from 2009 to 2016, 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 fans he could, he was a beloved teammate and always had a smile on his face.”

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

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

According to Roch Kubatko of Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), Matusz died Tuesday morning. The cause of death has not been revealed.

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

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

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

By Major LeaguesHe pitched in 280 regular season games throughout his career, starting 69 of them. He also pitched for two Orioles playoff teams (2012 and 2014), making 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, according to the Major Leagues. He then signed with the Cubs, where he started one game.

Never miss a story: sign up PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best 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.