Former Met Daniel Murphy retires again, ending comeback bid

Former Met Daniel Murphy retires again, ending comeback bid

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Daniel Murphy’s surprising comeback bid ended with the three-time All-Star infielder going on the voluntarily retired list after playing 38 games with the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A team.

Murphy was no longer on the active roster for the Salt Lake Bees on Tuesday, two days after he went 1 for 5 in his final game. His last major league game was with the Colorado Rockies during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, after which he said he was retiring.

The 38-year-old Murphy hit .295 for the Bees with one homer and 25 RBIs in 40 games.

The Angels signed him to a minor league deal in June after he hit .331 in 37 games this season for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League.

Murphy powered the New York Mets into the 2015 World Series with an incredible postseason performance. He hit home runs in a record six consecutive playoff games and was the NL Championship Series MVP.

He was runner-up for NL MVP in 2016 with the Washington Nationals, and won two Silver Slugger awards at second base. The left-handed hitter has a .296 career batting average with 138 home runs, 735 RBIs, 1,572 hits and a .796 OPS in 1,452 big league games over 12 seasons with the Mets, Nationals, Cubs and Rockies.

FILE – New York Mets’ Daniel Murphy reacts as he scores from second on a hit by Lucas Duda during the fourth inning of Game 2 of baseball’s World Series against the Kansas City Royals on, Oct. 28, 2015, in Kansas City, Mo. The Mets announced Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, the return of Old-Timers Day for the first time since 1994. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)