Three months after former MLB Pitcher Scott Sauerbeck died, his cause of death has been revealed.
Sauerbeck died on Feb. 18 of complications from influenza, with hypertensive heart disease listed as a contributing factor on the Florida Medical Examiner’s Office report, obtained by PEOPLE. He was 53.
The report lists “Sequela of acute influenza A, including streptococcal pharyngitis” as the late MLB star’s cause of death. The medical examiner ruled Sauerbeck’s death “natural,” and he did not have any illicit substances in his system at the time of his death, per the toxicology report.
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Sauerbeck’s death in a Facebook post on Feb. 20. The pitcher played for the team from 1999 until 2003, when he was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
“The Pirates family mourns the passing of Scott Sauerbeck. Scott played for the Bucs from 1999-2003 and shares the club record for most games pitched by a LHP in one season,” the statement read. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
J. Meric/Getty
SARASOTA, FL – MARCH 18: Pitcher Scott Sauerbeck #47 of the Cincinnati Reds makes a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the Grapefruit League Spring Training game on March 18, 2008 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.
The late pitcher played college baseball at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The New York Mets drafted him in the 1994 amateur draft, but he didn’t make his major league debut until 1999 with the Pirates.
Sauerbeck missed the 2004 season due to undergoing a major surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder.
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 juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
He later played for the Oakland Athletics, the Houston Astros, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Cincinnati Reds, the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox before retiring from MLB in 2008.
Read the original article on People
