Braves' Brandon McCarthy to Retire After 2018 Season Due to Knee Injury

Atlanta Braves pitcher Brandon McCarthy announced Tuesday he will retire following the conclusion of the 2018 season.

"I'm done after this," McCarthy said, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman. "This is it. The offseason is the rest of my life. If I was going to keep playing, a month and a half ago I would have had the surgery that cleans the [knee] and I'd be back next year just a little bit after Spring [Training]."

McCarthy, 35, was placed on the disabled list in late July with right knee tendinitis and remains sidelined as the Braves pursue a National League East title. 

However, Bowman noted McCarthy threw off a mound Tuesday and is "attempting to make adjustments that may allow him to be available as a reliever in September."

McCarthy said Tuesday that unless he feels comfortable during rehab starts in Triple-A, he won't return to the mound this season. 

"If I go out there and just [look mediocre], then there is no reason to activate me because it just cost someone else a roster spot," he said, per Bowman. "If I'm not getting outs, what's the point of doing that for a month? But if I feel like I can go out and be good and take up innings, then it absolutely makes sense."

Before hitting the shelf, McCarthy went 6-3 with a 4.92 ERA across his first 15 starts. 

For his career, the 13-year veteran owns a 69-75 record, 4.20 ERA and 1.300 WHIP.