Former Dodgers, Yankees Pitcher Signals Retirement Plan

At age 37, two months removed from his final pitch in the Mexican League, former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shane Greene is accepting of reality. His career is probably over.

Just don't use the "R word" around Greene, he said in a new interview with former MLB pitcher Adam Ottavino.

"We're not using the R word yet," Greene said on Episode 19 of Baseball & Coffee Conversations, "but we are not actively training to pitch. So life is good.”

A 2019 All-Star with the Detroit Tigers, Greene said he is currently in Florida helping Atlanta Braves pitcher and former teammate Joe Jimenez ramp up in the wake of his 2025 knee surgery. Jimenez is currently on Atlanta's 60-day injured list.

“So I've been throwing with him every other day for the last couple of months," Greene said of Jimenez. "I am throwing, anything could happen, but not currently pursuing a job. But if somebody were to call, I'll show up.”

The Dodgers signed Greene to bolster their bullpen in August 2021, less than a week after he was released by the Braves. Coincidentally, the Dodgers and Braves would hook up in the National League Championship Series two months later, with Atlanta winning en route to a World Series championship.

Greene made nine appearances out of the Dodgers' bullpen down the stretch. He allowed three hits, three walks and three runs in 6.2 innings (4.05 ERA).

The Dodgers won 106 games in the regular season. They looked like the World Series favorites after eliminating the 107-win San Francisco Giants in a five-game NL wild-card series.

Greene wasn't around for the postseason run. He was designated for assignment late in September and released four days later.

The Dodgers re-signed Greene to a minor league contract for the 2022 season, and he started the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Summoned to the majors for a single game in May, Greene pitched two scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. He became the winning pitcher when the Dodgers came back from a 4-2 deficit to win.

That would be Greene's final appearance in a Dodgers uniform. He signed with the New York Yankees later that month.

Greene made one appearance for the Yankees in 2022, and two with the Chicago Cubs in 2023 — the last of his 345 big league games.

Unless someone calls.

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