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16-year vet Kyle Lohse announces retirement hours after being released

Benny Sieu / USA TODAY Sports

Veteran right-hander Kyle Lohse has called it a career.

Hours after being released by the Kansas City Royals following a disappointing turn at Triple-A, the 39-year-old Lohse took to Instagram where he announced his retirement while watching his now former teammates from the stands in Omaha, celebratory beer in hand.

Lohse, who had not pitched in the majors since 2016 and missed all of last season due to injuries, made just two starts for the Royals' top affiliate this year and posted a 12.46 ERA in 8 2/3 innings.

Originally a 29th-round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs in 1996, Lohse made his big-league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2001. He would spend six years in the Twin Cities, his longest stretch of time with any one franchise. Lohse's best individual season came in 2012 with the St. Louis Cardinals when he posted a 2.86 ERA and finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting; he also pitched for five playoff teams and won a World Series with the Cardinals in 2011.

Lohse finishes his 16-year career with a 147-143 record, 4.40 ERA, and 1,615 strikeouts over 2,531 2/3 innings with the Twins, Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers. He earned over $89 million in salary during his career, according to Baseball-Reference.

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