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Former Mets IF Daniel Murphy Re-Retires After Comeback With Angels Triple-A Team

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVAugust 16, 2023

Colorado Rockies first baseman Daniel Murphy (9) in the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Daniel Murphy's comeback bid is over.

The former MLB All-Star has retired again, per the Associated Press, after appearing in 38 games for the the Salt Lake Bees, the Los Angeles Angels' Triple-A team.

Murphy last played an MLB game during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season before retiring for the first time.

Murphy, 38, was hitting .295 with a homer and 25 RBI for the Bees after signing a minor-league deal with the Angels in June. He previously hit .331 in 37 games for the independent Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks.

"This game is part of my soul, and my passion for playing grew as great as ever when I discovered certain things that I believe will enable me to be productive on the field again," Murphy said in a March statement before joining the Ducks. "I am immensely grateful to Mr. Boulton, Wally Backman and Michael Pfaff for allowing me to live my dream for a second time."

The Angels then purchased his contract from Long Island in June.

"Honestly, I didn't know until a week or so ago that he was playing," Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters at the time. "It sounds like he looks good. He's been swinging the bat. We'll see what we got when he goes out and plays."

Murphy spent 12 years in Major League Baseball with the New York Mets (2008-09, 2011-15), Washington Nationals (2016-18), Chicago Cubs (2018) and Colorado Rockies (2019-20), hitting .296 for his career with 138 homers, 735 RBI, 710 runs and a .796 OPS.

He was an All-Star in 2014, 2016 and 2017, a Silver Slugger in 2016 and 2017, the NL MVP runner-up in 2016 and the NLCS MVP in 2015, hitting four homers in that series as the Mets reached the World Series.