Sean Doolittle Retires After 11 MLB Seasons; Won 2019 World Series with Nationals

Former Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball after 11 seasons.

"After 11 incredible seasons playing the sport I love, I can say with gratitude and a full heart that I am retiring from baseball," Doolittle wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo also released statements congratulating Doolittle on a tremendous career:

Doolittle began his career with the Oakland Athletics in 2012. He spent five-and-a-half seasons with the franchise, earning an All-Star selection in 2014, before being traded to the Nationals in 2017.

In his first stint with the Nationals from 2017-2020, Doolittle helped Washington capture a World Series title in 2019. His best season with the franchise came in 2018 when he went 3-3 with a 1.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 45 innings across 43 appearances.

The 36-year-old spent the 2021 season split between the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners before rejoining the Nationals for the 2022 campaign. He appeared in just six games last season due to injuries, tossing 5.1 innings.

Doolittle returned to the Nationals on a minor league deal ahead of the 2023 season. After recovering from a setback from elbow surgery, he appeared in 11 games across Washington's minor league system, posting a 5.91 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 10.2 innings as he continued to deal with injuries.

Doolittle ends his MLB career with a 3.20 ERA in 463 appearances.