Yermín Mercedes appears to have retired from baseball.
The early-season superstar announced he’s stepping away from the sport indefinitely in an Instagram post Wednesday night.
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The White Sox learned of the post during Wednesday night’s game against the Twins and stated that they “are aware” but “have not received any official notification” from Mercedes’ regarding his status with the team.
Since his demotion to Triple-A earlier this month, Mercedes’ has a .309/.377/.655. slash line batting cleanup for the Charlotte Knights.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa told reporters he would be reaching out to Mercedes to “see what’s going on.”
MLB
“You’re in Triple-A and you had a taste of the big leagues, and you can get emotional,” La Russa said.
“It could be he’s just a little frustrated, and I’ll try to explain to him he’s got a big league future.”
According to La Russa, a player becoming bleakly discouraged after a demotion is not totally uncommon. He’s seen it happen “more than two handfuls” of times.
“It’s an adjustment,” He said. “And you gotta figure out a way to tough it out.
“He’s a talented guy. He earned a spot on the roster, and then he earned all those at-bats.”
La Russa is confident Mercedes is an MLB hitter if he makes the necessary adjustments to his swing, and Rick Hahn said earlier this month that he “fully expects” to see Mercedes on the 25-man roster again this season.