Former Dodgers Pitcher Kirby Yates Retires After 12-Year MLB Career

Former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Kirby Yates made his last appearance of his long baseball career on Saturday, September 26th.

Yates pitched as a starter for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers. He totaled 1.2 innings, getting a strikeout and allowing two hits.

The 39-year-old got his curtain call, and after the game, he said, “This is it.”

In 2026, Yates bounced back after a rough 2025 with the Dodgers with a slid 3.32 ERA and a 0.6 bWAR with the Angels and Pirates.

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Jul 9, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kirby Yates (38) prepares to pitch during the tenth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Yates made 50 appearances for LA last year. He posted a 5.23 ERA over 41.1 innings, and while he didn’t make the postseason roster, Yates still earned a championship ring for his contributions.

The Dodgers signed Yates to a one-year, $13 million contract ahead of the 2025 season to help bolster a bullpen that carried a big load in the 2024 postseason.

He came off a strong 2023 season, posting a 3.28 ERA and a 1.1 bWAR. Then, in 2024 with the Texas Rangers, he had a stellar campaign, posting a 1.17 ERA and 3.1 bWAR over 61.2 innings.

Yates closed for the Rangers, posting 33 saves, and at 37, the Dodgers saw someone who could help with a short-term World Series push.

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Apr 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kirby Yates (38) replaces Jack Dreyer (86) in the top of the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After a strong start through the first month of the season, when he posted a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings, Yates’s form fell off a cliff.

He battled injuries, but for a reliever brought in to provide stability, he did the opposite.

He would finish with a 7.90 ERA in 16 games in the second half of the season, making it infeasible for the Dodgers to keep rolling him out with a second consecutive title on the line.