Veteran outfielder Nick Markakis announced his retirement from the MLB on Friday. Markakis played 15 seasons in the majors, suiting up for the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves.

Markakis announced his decision via The Athletic, telling the magazine that he wants to spend more time with his family.

“I just think it’s my time,” said Markakis. “I think I played the right way, and that’s all that really matters to me.”

According to the 37-year-old veteran, he made the decision to retire shortly after 2020 wrapped up and didn’t attempt to land a spot on a roster for this season. Several teams reached out to Markakis to see if he was interested but couldn’t lure him into playing in 2021.

Nick Markakis was initially drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in both 2001 and 2002, but he decided to play college baseball in both instances. In 2003, he was drafted again, this time by the Orioles with the seventh overall pick, and joined Baltimore’s farm system.

Markakis made his MLB debut for the Orioles in 2006 and went on to spend nine seasons with the franchise while playing 1,365 games. He left the team in 2015 as a free agent and signed with the Braves.

In Atlanta, Markakis played some of his best baseball, earning one All-Star nod and Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Awards. He’ll retire with a .288 batting average, 2,388 hits, 189 home runs, and 1,046 RBIs.

The post Former Orioles and Braves Outfielder Nick Markakis Retires appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis announced on Monday that he would be choosing not to play the 2020 MLB season due to concerns about the COVID-19 virus.

Markakis, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal over the offseason to return to the Braves, will abandon the Braves’ training sessions in Atlanta and instead head home, looking to keep both himself and his family as healthy and safe as possible.

Markakis, who is now 36 years old and has put together an impressive career that includes over 2,000 hits, 3 Gold Glove awards, and a 2018 All-Star appearance, told the media that various factors went into his decision.

Markakis mentioned having his eyes opened to the seriousness of the virus after speaking to teammate Freddie Freeman over the phone, who is currently in quarantine and suffering from a high fever and other symptoms after testing positive.

Markakis also mentioned wanting to keep his family safe and the realization that playing without fans in the stadium would be a strange feeling as factors in his decision.

Braves manager Brian Snitker expressed support for the veteran’s decision but also concern about how it would affect his team, stating, “When you lose a guy of that stature and what he brings and the player he is, it doesn’t help you, that’s for sure.”

Markakis stated that he is currently unsure if he will pursue a contract to return to the league next season.

The post Braves OF Nick Markakis to Sit Out 2020 Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves were dealt a blow over the weekend after starting right fielder Nick Markakis broke his wrist after being hit by a pitch.

The veteran outfielder was struck flush on his left wrist while batting against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Irvin. Markakis tried to stay in the game after being hit but quickly realized that he had suffered a serious injury and needed to be removed.

Markakis has been Atlanta’s 5-hole hitter throughout the season and has provided consistent production for the division-leading Braves. The 2018 All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner has hit .284 with 9 home runs for the Braves this season, posting an excellent .358 on-base percentage.

If there’s any silver lining for the Braves in this situation, team doctors determined that Markakis will not need surgery to fix the wrist fracture and that he could return in mid-September, before the playoffs start at the end of the month.

In the meantime, Atlanta has called up former All-Star outfielder Adam Duvall from triple-A Gwinnett in order to cover the hole left by Markakis’ departure.

Atlanta can now do nothing but cross its fingers that they’ll get their quality right fielder back in time for this year’s playoffs.

The post Braves RF Nick Markakis to Miss Time with Broken Wrist appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Veteran outfielder Nick Markakis announced his retirement from the MLB on Friday. Markakis played 15 seasons in the majors, suiting up for the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves.

Markakis announced his decision via The Athletic, telling the magazine that he wants to spend more time with his family.

“I just think it’s my time,” said Markakis. “I think I played the right way, and that’s all that really matters to me.”

According to the 37-year-old veteran, he made the decision to retire shortly after 2020 wrapped up and didn’t attempt to land a spot on a roster for this season. Several teams reached out to Markakis to see if he was interested but couldn’t lure him into playing in 2021.

Nick Markakis was initially drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in both 2001 and 2002, but he decided to play college baseball in both instances. In 2003, he was drafted again, this time by the Orioles with the seventh overall pick, and joined Baltimore’s farm system.

Markakis made his MLB debut for the Orioles in 2006 and went on to spend nine seasons with the franchise while playing 1,365 games. He left the team in 2015 as a free agent and signed with the Braves.

In Atlanta, Markakis played some of his best baseball, earning one All-Star nod and Silver Slugger and Golden Glove Awards. He’ll retire with a .288 batting average, 2,388 hits, 189 home runs, and 1,046 RBIs.

The post Former Orioles and Braves Outfielder Nick Markakis Retires appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis announced on Monday that he would be choosing not to play the 2020 MLB season due to concerns about the COVID-19 virus.

Markakis, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal over the offseason to return to the Braves, will abandon the Braves’ training sessions in Atlanta and instead head home, looking to keep both himself and his family as healthy and safe as possible.

Markakis, who is now 36 years old and has put together an impressive career that includes over 2,000 hits, 3 Gold Glove awards, and a 2018 All-Star appearance, told the media that various factors went into his decision.

Markakis mentioned having his eyes opened to the seriousness of the virus after speaking to teammate Freddie Freeman over the phone, who is currently in quarantine and suffering from a high fever and other symptoms after testing positive.

Markakis also mentioned wanting to keep his family safe and the realization that playing without fans in the stadium would be a strange feeling as factors in his decision.

Braves manager Brian Snitker expressed support for the veteran’s decision but also concern about how it would affect his team, stating, “When you lose a guy of that stature and what he brings and the player he is, it doesn’t help you, that’s for sure.”

Markakis stated that he is currently unsure if he will pursue a contract to return to the league next season.

The post Braves OF Nick Markakis to Sit Out 2020 Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves were dealt a blow over the weekend after starting right fielder Nick Markakis broke his wrist after being hit by a pitch.

The veteran outfielder was struck flush on his left wrist while batting against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Irvin. Markakis tried to stay in the game after being hit but quickly realized that he had suffered a serious injury and needed to be removed.

Markakis has been Atlanta’s 5-hole hitter throughout the season and has provided consistent production for the division-leading Braves. The 2018 All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner has hit .284 with 9 home runs for the Braves this season, posting an excellent .358 on-base percentage.

If there’s any silver lining for the Braves in this situation, team doctors determined that Markakis will not need surgery to fix the wrist fracture and that he could return in mid-September, before the playoffs start at the end of the month.

In the meantime, Atlanta has called up former All-Star outfielder Adam Duvall from triple-A Gwinnett in order to cover the hole left by Markakis’ departure.

Atlanta can now do nothing but cross its fingers that they’ll get their quality right fielder back in time for this year’s playoffs.

The post Braves RF Nick Markakis to Miss Time with Broken Wrist appeared first on SportzBonanza.