What happened to Brett Gardner’s son Miller Gardner? Cause of death revealed

Miller Gardner, the teenage son of former New York Yankees’ outfielder, Brett Gardner, unfortunately passed away during a family vacation to Costa Rica. The 14-year-old passed away on Friday, March 21, according to a report by NBC News.

Miller Gardner’s cause of death has been preliminarily determined by Costa Rican authorities. According to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency’s official, quoted by NBC News, Gardner passed away because of asphyxiation due to “possible intoxication after apparently ingesting some food.” Gardner was discovered in his hotel room at the resort, Manuel Antonio.

The officials are also expecting results of an autopsy and a toxicology analysis before confirming how Gardner died, as per the report by NBC News.

Earlier on Sunday, March 23, Miller Gardner’s parents, Brett and Jessica, announced the news of the teenager’s passing away in a statement released on the New York Yankees’ social media accounts. In an emotional statement by the young Gardner’s parents, they wrote,

“With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller. He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation. We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st.”

Continuing, Brett and Jessica described Miller Gardner’s personality and attempted to grasp their loss. They wrote,

“Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.”

The Gardners thanked their well-wishers who reached out to them to offer support in their time of grieving, and requested fans to grant the family privacy as they mourn the loss of their young son.

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Statements grieving the death of Miller Gardner are pouring in

The New York Yankees released their own statement as well, mourning the loss of their star outfielder, Brett Gardner’s youngest son, Miller Gardner. The team posted a message to its X account, writing,

“Our hearts are heavy, and the Yankees family is filled with grief after learning of the passing of Miller Gardner. Words feel insignificant and insufficient in trying to describe such an unimaginable loss. It wasn't just Brett who literally grew up in this organization for more than 17 years - so did his wife, Jessica, and their two boys, Hunter and Miller.”

The Yankees, while affirming their love and support for the Gardners, also wrote,

“We grieve with Brett, Jessica, Hunter, and their community of family and friends in mourning the loss of Miller, who had a spark in his eyes, an outgoing and feisty personality, and a warm and loving nature.”

Aaron Boone, the manager of the Yankees, was quoted by the New York Post as he spoke about the Gardner family’s loss. He said,

“We talk about being family all the time and even though Brett’s been gone for a few years, that doesn’t stop…It’s a very tough day and very tough news As best we can, we’ll be praying for the Gardner family and where we can, offering support.”

A former coach for the Yankees, who also worked with Brett Gardner, the current New York Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza also said a few words in support of the Gardner family. Also quoted by the New York Post, Mendoza said,

“I had a really good relationship with [Gardner] and we’re thinking about him. The whole Mets organization is thinking about the Gardner family…I got two boys, too, and they were pretty close.”

The death of Miller Gardner has taken the entire Major League Baseball organization by surprise, and they stand together in wishing Brett Gardner and his family a lot of support as they deal with the untimely loss of his son.