Having been sidelined for two full seasons, reliever Shawn Tolleson announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Wednesday. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2017, but a recent setback in his recovery led him to the decision.
Tolleson saved 35 games for the Texas Rangers in 2015. He was vital to the team’s AL West division title that season, and his production earned him the Rangers’ Pitcher of the Year award. Unfortunately, he lost his way the following year and refused Texas’ outright assignment to the minor leagues.
The Tampa Bay Rays signed him for the 2017 season; however, Tommy John kept him Tolleson from throwing a single pitch in a Rays’ uniform.