In an interview earlier this month, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kirby Yates suggested to MLB.com that the 2026 season could be his last.
Saturday, Yates made it official.
The right-handed pitcher told reporters after the Detroit Tigers beat the Pirates that he is retiring immediately.
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“This is it,” Yates said (via Alex Stumpf on Twitter/X).
Yates signed with the Los Angeles Angels last offseason and began the season on the injured list with inflammation in his left knee. He was traded to the Pirates at the Aug. 3 deadline, and again found himself shelved with a shoulder injury in September.
With the Pirates’ postseason hopes in the rear-view mirror, manager Don Kelly turned to a bullpen game Saturday in a game more notable for being the final start of Justin Verlander’s Hall of Fame career.
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It was the final game for Yates, too, a fact his teammates apparently knew before the general public. Pirates catcher Henry Davis handed Yates the game ball when Kelly visited the mound to remove him in the second inning. Teammates hugged him on the mound. Even umpire Laz Diaz extended his hand as Yates walked off the field one last time.
In 46 games for the Angels and Pirates this season, Yates went 2-5 with a 3.19 ERA and three saves. He retires with a 32-29 record, 3.35 ERA and 101 saves after wearing the uniform of eight teams: the Angels, Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and New York Yankees. He also capped off hiss career with two All-Star selections: in 2019 and 2024.
Kirby Yates to spend more time with family
Yates’ future plans are already clear. He has already said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his family.
“They want Dad home as much as they possibly can,” he told MLB.com’s Aiden Stepansky recently. “So, I think we’re getting to a point where we’ve had conversations before; it kind of hits you different when they tell you they’d rather have you home. So as a father, when you hear that it kind of gets you pretty good in the heart.”
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