Alejandro Avila
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The MLB received a surprising bit of news late Wednesday when Chicago White Sox rookie Yermín Mercedes announced his retirement from baseball.
The news was released via Yermín’s personal Instagram. The post contained a lengthy statement thanking his supporters and teammates. The post’s image displayed a black square with the message: “it’s over.”
At 28 years old, Mercedes entered the league after nearly a decade in the minors and became a hit at the beginning of his tenure with the White Sox.
Mercedes infamously found disfavor with White Sox manager Tony LaRussa after swinging for a HR on a 3-0 count when the White Sox were already up by 11. Following the home run, LaRussa criticized Mercedes and sided with the Twins players who later confronted Mercedes.
The White Sox slugger became a favorite in Chicago back in April, but he then struggled throughout May until he was finally demoted down to Triple A to play for the Charlotte Knights.
Batting .271 throughout 2021, Mercedes’ performances earlier in his debut left many wondering whether time away from the majors would help him recover some of his groove.
He showcased glimpses of the April All-Star during his time with the Triple A Knights. However, the broken relationship with LaRussa may have affected Yermín’s decision.
The Chicago White Sox announced that they have yet to receive official word about retirement from the DH.
Ever since he swung 3-0 to hit a granny against a Twins backup catcher in a blowout, his season went into the toilet. That apparently caused a serious disturbance in the baseball Force, so it had to self-correct eventually. He gone.