Brett Gardner’s son Miller has likely cause of death reversed by Costa Rica officials

Costa Rican authorities have reversed a preliminary cause of death for former New York Yankees star Brett Gardner’s teenage son Miller.

Gardner, 41, and his wife Jessica announced the 14-year-old’s death via the Yankees on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

Miller became ill alongside several other relatives on the trip, the family said.

On Monday local time, an official with Costa Rica’s Judiciary Investigation Agency said it was likely Miller had died by asphyxia after eating something that made him sick.

But the same official has now said on Tuesday it appeared that was not the case.

“It was preliminarily ruled out that the cause of death was due to asphyxia, due to the fact that at the time of the inspection of the body, no anomaly was observed at macro level in the respiratory tract,” Juan Pablo Alvarado Garcia said after consulting with a pathologist.

He said that autopsy results will likely take two to three months. Samples were sent to a forensic lab and a study will be carried out by a local university, he said.

The Judiciary Investigation Agency is also looking for security footage and has started interviewing resort employees, including the doctor.

The Gardner family left Costa Rica on Saturday and could also be interviewed through video calls.

Authorities initially reached the conclusion that Miller asphyxiated on his own vomit after examining his body at the hotel in the popular Pacific Coast resort area where his family was staying.

The entire family had become sick after eating at a nearby restaurant the day before, Alvarado Garcia said, and were treated by a hotel medical team.

Having now ruled out asphyxia, officials are seeking to cover all bases.

“Was it a medicine they gave him that triggered something?” Alvarado Garcia said.

“Or was it an underlying condition he had that was triggered by what he ate or the medicine they gave him? We won’t know until we know all of the results from the tests.”

The Gardner family had said Miller “passed away peacefully in his sleep”.

“We have so many questions and so few answers at this point,” they said.

“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.”

Gardner spent his 14-season career as an outfielder with the Yankees and helped the team win the 2009 World Series.

He retired after the team’s 2021 season.

- with 7NEWS/CNN