Two-time All-Star reliever Kirby Yates says he is retiring after making his first career MLB start during a 12-year big league run. The 39-year-old, who has spent most of his career in relief, takes the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitches 1 2/3 innings before leaving the field. After the outing, he confirms it is his final game and shakes hands with teammates and the plate umpire as he departs.
Yates’ retirement follows an earlier career path that included going undrafted out of junior college. Across his tenure, he makes 518 MLB appearances after debuting with Tampa Bay in June 2014. While one outlet frames the decision around the novelty of the first start, both accounts emphasize the same retirement confirmation after the Saturday outing, presenting the start as the moment he closes his career rather than a change in role.
