Mired in the worst slump of his career, New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira is reportedly expected to announce his retirement from baseball Friday, effective at the end of the 2016 season.
ESPN's Buster Olney first reported the news, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports provided confirmation.
The 36-year-old slugger has been hampered by injuries all season, and he's hitting just .198 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI. Teixeira hasn't appeared in more than 123 games in a single season since 2011. He missed nearly all of the 2013 campaign with a wrist ailment, and his 2015 season was cut short due to a fracture in his leg.
Tex was named to his third All-Star team and was enjoying a fine year prior to the leg injury; he was hitting .255 with 31 home runs and 79 RBI in just 111 games. That production lent hope that he would be a key part of the Yanks lineup in 2016, but his stats have taken a nosedive.
The Maryland native was set to hit free agency after the season, and a return to New York was in question due to the impending return of Greg Bird from injury in 2017.
At 54-54 and fourth place in the AL East, the Yankees waved the white flag on the 2016 season after dealing closer Aroldis Chapman, reliever Andrew Miller and outfielder Carlos Beltran for minor league talent.
Teixeira, who played for the Rangers, Braves, Angels and Yankees, has a .269 career batting average with 404 home runs and 1,281 RBI in his 14-year career. He is one of just five switch-hitters in MLB history to go yard at least 400 times.
Teixeira is also regarded as one of the best defensive first basemen of his era, netting five Gold Gloves. He's likely to fall a tier below the Hall of Fame, though he's had an excellent career.
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