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4 clusters · 33 sources · 16 days · First seen · Last updated

Kirby Yates and Justin Verlander retire from MLB

Overview

Veteran MLB reliever Kirby Yates has retired from Major League Baseball following a 12-season career. Yates, who had been considering retirement due to recurring injuries and a desire to spend more time with his family, officially stepped away after making his first career Major League start on September 25, 2026, against the Detroit Tigers.

During that game, Yates shared the mound with Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, a rare occurrence where two starting pitchers made their final regular-season appearances in the same game after at least 12 seasons. Yates, a two-time All-Star, concluded his career with 518 appearances and 101 saves across eight teams. Following his final appearance as an opener for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 39-year-old Yates stated, “I’ve been running on fumes for a while. I think it’s just time.”

Following that appearance, Justin Verlander officially retired after a 21-season career. In an emotional farewell at Comerica Park, Verlander was joined on the mound by his daughter, Genevieve, as he completed his final start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Verlander, a three-time Cy Young winner, finished his career with 3,560 strikeouts, ranking eighth all-time.

In related season news, the Pittsburgh Pirates secured their first winning season since 2018, finishing with an 82-80 record after defeating the Tigers 4-2 in the season finale. Konnor Griffin contributed to the Pirates' 11-win improvement over the previous season with a leadoff home run and an RBI single. The Tigers concluded their year with a 76-86 record.

Entities

Kirby Yates · Pittsburgh Pirates · Detroit Tigers · Justin Verlander · Don Kelly

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [SPORTS] 23 sources
    Justin Verlander retires as Pirates clinch winning season

    Justin Verlander retired after a legendary 21-season MLB career, while the Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their first winning season since 2018 with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers.

  2. 3 days ago

    [SPORTS] 9 sources
    Kirby Yates announces retirement after 12 MLB seasons

    MLB pitcher Kirby Yates has announced his retirement after 12 seasons, following his final appearance as an opener for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

  3. 5 days ago

    [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Pittsburgh Pirates players Paul Skenes and Kirby Yates make headlines

    Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes remains undaunted by a statistically lower third season, while veteran reliever Kirby Yates prepares for his first career MLB start against the Detroit Tigers.

  4. 18 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Kirby Yates considers MLB retirement amid injuries

    MLB reliever Kirby Yates is considering retirement due to recurring injuries and a desire to spend more time with his family following his recent trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Sources

baseballmusings.com · baseballrumors.me · blessyouboys.com · bravosports.net.ve · breitbart.com · cappertek.com · carteldeportivo.com · dose.ca · elfildeo.com · fanSided.com · fox29.com · freebeacon.com · heavy.com · heraldstandard.com · lewistownsentinel.com · metsmerizedonline.com · morningjournalnews.com · newsday.com · newsweek.com · nypost.com · observer-reporter.com · phillyvoice.com · pittsburghbaseballnow.com · predictem.com · pulptastic.com · si.com · tmspn.com · townhall.com · triblive.com · tribtoday.com · winnipegfreepress.com · yourNEWS.com · yve-style.com

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history