Jay Bruce Will Retire After Today's Game

New York Yankees first baseman Jay Bruce announced this morning that today's game against the Tampa Bay Rays will be his last as a big leaguer.

Bruce, 34, made the Yankees roster as a non-roster spring training invitee. Normally an outfielder, Bruce was filling in for the injured Luke Voit at first base. In 10 games with the Yankees, Bruce hit .118 with a home run and 3 RBI. It hasn't helped matters the Yankees are currently in last place in the AL East with a 5-9 record with four consecutive losses.

Bruce spent the bulk of his big league career with the Cincinnati Reds where he was a first round pick of the team in the 2005 MLB Draft. He made the roster in 2008 and would be named to 3 NL All-Star Teams in 2011, 2012 and 2016 before being traded to the New York Mets at the trade deadline that season. Since the end of the 2016 season, Bruce has played with the Cleveland Indians, had one more stint with the Mets before stints with the Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies before making his way to the Bronx. Entering today, Bruce played 1650 games collecting 1455 hits for a lifetime batting average of .244 with 319 HR and 951 RBI.

Of those 319 home runs, his most memorable was the one he hit to clinch the NL Central title for the Reds in 2010. Bruce won't have a plaque in Cooperstown, but he will soon have a spot in the Reds Hall of Fame.