Veteran starting pitcher Chad Bettis is calling it a career after seven seasons. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Veteran pitcher Chad Bettis announces his retirement

By Blake Harper | Last updated 6/26/20

After seven seasons in the MLB, pitcher Chad Bettis announced that he will be retiring from baseball.

"Today I am walking away from the game with my head held high, knowing that I pushed my body as far as it could go physically," Bettis wrote. "Baseball has provided countless life lessons that I will hold on to and cherish forever. My family and I are extremely excited for our next phase of life. Again, we truly want to thank everyone from the Rockies, Yankees, and baseball fans all around for the support. We had a blast!"

Bettis spent all of his career with the Colorado Rockies, having been selected by the team in the second round of the 2010 draft. The right-hander had perhaps his best season as a pro in 2016 when he started 32 games for the Rockies and recorded 14-8 record and a 4.79 ERA.

Chad Bettis, longtime Rockies pitcher now with the Yankees, said he will retire from baseball. "Today I am walking away from the game with my head held high, knowing that I pushed my body as far as it could go physically," he said.
— Nick Groke (@nickgroke) June 25, 2020

Unfortunately, Bettis' career was derailed that December when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was not able to play for the Rockies again until August of 2017, pitching seven scoreless innings in his first game back. But injuries would keep him from fully regaining his old form and he became a free agent following the 2019 season.

In February, Bettis signed a minor-league deal with the New York Yankees in the hopes of getting his career back into form. But ultimately, Bettis found that his body had been pushed as much as it could, so he decided to call it a career.

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