Braves designate Colon for assignment

Could this be the end to Big Sexy's storied career?

The Atlanta Braves have designated 44-year-old starter Bartolo Colon for assignment, the team announced on Thursday.

In his start on Wednesday night, Colon - the oldest player in the majors - was lifted after four abysmal innings in which he gave up eight hits and six earned runs against the San Diego Padres.

Colon joined the Braves as a free agent in the offseason, signing a one-year, $12.5-million deal. The veteran was brought in to provide experience to a rebuilding Braves team, but failed to leave much of an impact. In 13 starts this year, Colon combined to a 8.14 ERA, a 1.77 WHIP, and surrendered 13.1 hits per nine innings.

Big Sexy has been around the majors for 20 years, appearing for nine different teams. The four-time All-Star was a dominant force early on in his career with the Cleveland Indians, later winning an American League Cy Young award in 2005 as a member of the Los Angeles Angels.