NEW YORK — Bartolo Colón wanted to say goodbye to the major leagues with the New York Mets, and, of course, his home run was going to be celebrated.
Four months past his 50th birthday and five years removed from his last big league pitch, Colón was honored by the Mets on Sunday when he announced his retirement after 21 big league seasons.
“My first home was Cleveland,” Colón said through an interpreter during a pregame news conference, “But now I’m here with the Mets and I feel really comfortable here.”
Colón went 247-188 with a 4.12 ERA and 2,535 strikeouts in 3,461⅔ innings. A four-time All-Star, he started his big league career with Cleveland in 1997 and won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award with the Los Angeles Angels.
He pitched for 11 big league teams but is repeatedly reminded of his batting feat. On May 7, 2006, Colón homered off the San Diego Padres‘ James Shields, becoming — at 42 years, 349 days — the oldest player to hit his first major league homer.
“The only thing I could think about when I was running the bases was those bases were getting further and further away,” Colón said.
Colón finished with an .084 average and 11 RBIs in 299 at-bats.
“Prodigious power,” former Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Colón, who lives in New Jersey, threw out a ceremonial first pitch this May 7 and another on Sunday to former teammate Brandon Nimmo as Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack” played on the audio system.
Colón pitched for the Mets from 2014 to 2016, earning his final All-Star selection. Collins, who managed Colón in New York, presented the pitcher with his framed No. 40 jersey after a news conference attended by more than 20 of Colón’s family members and friends.
Among the clips shown on the scoreboard before Colón’s first pitch was his behind-the-back flip to throw out Miami‘s Justin Bour in 2015 as well as an over-the-shoulder catch he made on a bunt pop-up by Philadelphia‘s Freddy Galvis the next season.
“This guy was a better athlete than people give him credit for,” Collins said. “Held runners, great fielder.”
LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand and will miss the start of the regular season.
Manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Baddoo had more tests done after some continued wrist soreness since the start of spring training. Those tests revealed the hamate hook fracture in his right hand that was surgically repaired Thursday.
Baddoo, 26, who has been with the Tigers since 2021, is at spring training as a non-roster player. He was designated for assignment in December after Detroit signed veteran right-hander Alex Cobb to a $15 million, one-year contract. Baddoo cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo.
Cobb is expected to miss the start of the season after an injection to treat hip inflammation that developed as the right-hander was throwing at the start of camp. He has had hip surgery twice.
Baddoo hit .137 with two homers and five RBIs in 31 games last season. The left-hander has a .226 career average with 28 homers and 103 RBI in 340 games.
After the Tigers acquired him from Minnesota in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December 2020, Baddoo hit .259 with 13 homers, 55 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a .330 on-base percentage in 124 games as a rookie in 2021. Those are all career bests.
Roberts said he had spoken with Miller, who was still in concussion protocol after getting struck by a 105.5 mph liner hit by Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch in the first game of spring training Thursday.
The manager said Miller indicated that there was no fracture or any significant bruising.
“He said in his words, ‘I have a hard head.’ He was certainly in good spirits,” Roberts said.
Miller immediately fell to the ground while holding his head, but quickly got up on his knees as medical staff rushed onto the field. The 25-year-old right-hander was able to walk off the field on his own.
“He feels very confident that he can kind of pick up his throwing program soon,” said Roberts, who was unsure of that timing. “But he’s just got to keep going through the concussion protocol just to make sure that we stay on the right track.”
Miller entered spring training in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation. He had a 2-4 record with an 8.52 ERA over 13 starts last season, after going 11-4 with a 3.76 in 22 starts as a rookie in 2023.
PHOENIX — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Blake Perkins is expected to miss the first month of the season after fracturing his right shin during batting practice.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed the severity of Perkins’ injury before their Cactus League opener Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds.
“They’re estimating another three to four weeks to heal and a ramp-up of four to six weeks,” Murphy said. “So you’re probably looking at May.”
Perkins, 28, batted .240 with a .316 on-base percentage, six homers, 43 RBIs and 23 steals in 121 games last season. He also was a National League Gold Glove finalist at center field.
“Perkins is a big part of our team,” Murphy said. “The chemistry of the team, the whole thing, Perk’s huge. He’s one of the most loved guys on the club, and he’s a great defender, coming into his own as an offensive player. Yeah, it’s going to hurt us.”
Murphy also said right-handed pitcher J.B. Bukauskas has what appears to be a serious lat injury and is debating whether to undergo surgery. Bukauskas had a 1.50 ERA in six relief appearances last year but missed much of the season with a lat issue.