Former Dodgers All-Star Announces Sudden Retirement From MLB

"After 13 seasons and full of tremendous pride and gratitude, it's time to hang up the cleats. I never could have imagined the experiences and memories I'd be a part of. They exceeded every hope that my younger self could have dreamt for my baseball career," Stripling wrote on Twitter/X.

"It never could have been possible without my family and friends. I also want to give a huge thank you to all my coaches and teammates over the years. I had so much love and support along the way, and I'm thankful to everyone that was a part of it in any form or fashion. All of you helped me be the best baseball player I could be."

"This has been an unbelievable honor, and I feel incredibly lucky to be so fulfilled and content with leaving the game behind. Now, l'm excited to be home and begin the next chapter of life with my amazing family."

The pitcher made a memorable debut in 2016, made the National League All-Star team two years later, and appeared in parts of nine major league seasons for four different teams.

A fifth-round pick in the 2012 MLB draft out of Texas A&M, Stripling quietly rose the organizational ranks with the Dodgers before seizing the fifth starter's job out of spring training in 2016. Over the next five seasons, Stripling went 23-25 in 143 games (59 starts) for the Dodgers. He served a valuable role as a swingman in the regular season, and was a lights-out reliever in the postseason.

Stripling did not allow a run in nine of 11 playoff appearances with the Dodgers from 2016-19, including two scoreless innings in the 2017 World Series against the Houston Astros.

The Dodgers traded Stripling to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 for minor leaguers Kendall Williams and Ryan Noda.

From 2020-24, Stripling failed to reach his previous heights with the Jays, A's, and Giants. In 2024, Stripling went 2-11 with a 6.01 ERA in 22 games (14 starts) with Oakland.

Stripling retires with a career ERA of 4.17 and a 40-54 record. A fan favorite in Los Angeles, Stripling's "Chicken Strip" Players Weekend jersey (an idea hatched in 2017) was a popular buy among fans at the time.

Stripling's major league debut, in which he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning, remains among the best debut performances in major league history.