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Outfielder Kevin Pillar is putting off retirement, signing a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

The deal includes an invitation to spring training.

Also Sunday, general manager Kevin Young said pitcher Alejandro Rosario, the No. 56 overall prospect as ranked by ESPN.com, has an elbow injury and likely will miss the 2025 season.

Pillar underwent offseason thumb surgery, and after it healed, he said he felt as if he could continue playing.

“I know I said I was gonna retire, but I’m entitled to take that back,” Pillar said, per MLB.com. “I’ve played this game for so long, I accomplished a lot of things in my career that I wanted to accomplish. I still had a bad taste in my mouth the way my individual season ended last year. … Sometimes you don’t always get to choose your destiny in this game, and I ended up in the right place.”

Pillar, 36, was selected in the 32nd round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Blue Jays and was on the Toronto roster two years later but has bounced around since. He’s played for the Blue Jays (2013-19), San Francisco Giants (2019), Boston Red Sox (2020), Colorado Rockies (2020), New York Mets (2021), Los Angeles Dodgers (2022), Atlanta Braves (2023), Chicago White Sox (2024) and Los Angeles Angels (2024).

Last season, he hit .229 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs in 100 games. He became a free agent at the end of the season after appearing in just 10 games in September.

“He’s a really, really talented player that’s a good right-handed bat who plays all three outfield positions,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said, per MLB.com. “I had Kevin [in San Francisco in 2019]. I mean, he’s a great teammate, plays full throttle, which is what you love about him. He’ll be here competing for a job. I’ve been there [retiring and coming back]. This is what he loves to do. Sometimes when you back off, you miss it. It didn’t take him long to miss it, and he wanted to get back in.”

In 1,214 career games, Pillar has a .255 average with 114 home runs and 468 RBIs. He has 1,044 career hits and 468 RBIs.

Rosario, a right-hander, was selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Miami.

The 23-year-old has one year of experience in the minors, going 4-5 with a 2.24 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) at the High-A and Class-A levels. He walked just 13 batters and struck out 129 in 88 1/3 innings.

Young gave an ominous prognosis on Sunday.

“It’s likely UCL,” he said. “I don’t want to officially say, but yeah, it’s elbow and will probably require Tommy John” surgery.

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

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Johnson, 2-time Cup winner with Lightning, retires

Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement after playing 13 NHL seasons and winning the Stanley Cup twice with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Johnson called it a career in a lengthy message posted on social media Monday. Johnson had battled injuries in recent years and is set to turn 35 on July 29.

“As a short kid from a small town, I saw my chances of playing in the NHL as very slim,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “But my family — my parents, Ken and Debbie, and my grandparents — believed in me when doubt clouded my mind. Their unwavering faith turned that dream into reality.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 191 pounds, Johnson won at just about ever level, capturing the Western Hockey League and Memorial Cup championships in 2008 with his hometown Spokane Chiefs and the Calder Cup championship with Norfolk of the American Hockey League in 2012.

The NHL brought more success, as he skated in 863 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in the league in 2013, putting up 498 points. Johnson was part of the Lightning’s core when they reached the final in 2015 and helped them hoist the Cup back to back in 2020 and ’21.

Johnson finished with Chicago, playing three seasons with the Blackhawks, and Boston, signing with the Bruins early last season following his training camp tryout.

“After a lifetime devoted to hockey, I’m ready for what’s next,” Johnson said. “This moment is bittersweet, but I leave the game with no regrets.”

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‘Gritty’ McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

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'Gritty' McBain secures 5-year deal from Mammoth

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Mammoth re-signed center Jack McBain to a five-year contract worth $21.25 million on Monday.

McBain will count $4.25 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season, which was announced a little more than 24 hours since the team elected salary arbitration with the restricted free agent forward.

“He is a big, strong, physical player who competes hard on a nightly basis and brings a gritty toughness to our group,” general manager Bill Armstrong said. “Jack is an important part of the championship-caliber team we are building, and we look forward to having him back on our roster for the foreseeable future.”

McBain, 25, is coming off setting a career high with 27 points and playing all 82 games. He was one of six players to skate in every game of the organization’s first season in Salt Lake City.

“Jack’s versatility as a player, his care for his teammates and his demonstrated willingness to do whatever it takes to win, are all critical elements to our future team success,” president of hockey operations Chris Armstrong said.

McBain has 82 points in 241 games with the franchise, which moved to Utah from Arizona. Since debuting in April 2022, he ranks third in the league with 832 hits.

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‘Workhorse’ York nets five-year deal from Flyers

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'Workhorse' York nets five-year deal from Flyers

Cam York and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to terms Monday on a five-year contract worth $25.75 million, with re-signing the restricted free agent defenseman completing perhaps the team’s last important piece of offseason business.

York, 25, will count $5.15 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 NHL season. That price could turn out to be a bargain with the upper limit rising from $88 million this past season to $113.5 million by 2027-28.

“Cam has been a workhorse for our team over the last few seasons,” general manager Danny Briere said. “We’re excited by his development and look forward to his continued growth and emergence as a young leader within our group.”

The Flyers are trying to shift from rebuilding to contending, and York was the final player on the roster without a contract. They acquired Trevor Zegras in a trade from Anaheim last month and signed fellow center Christian Dvorak and backup goaltender Dan Vladar on the first day of free agency.

York, the 14th pick in the 2019 draft, has skated nearly 21 minutes a game so far in his pro career, all with Philadelphia. He has 77 points in 235 games for the Flyers, who have not made the playoffs since 2020.

“I believe in this team, and I love the direction we are heading,” York said. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey and build something special together.”

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