White Sox's Yermin Mercedes says he's retiring after demotion

Chicago White Sox catcher Yermin Mercedes (73) reacts after being hit by a pitch in the helmet during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

White Sox rookie Yermin Mercedes says he's retiring from baseball after demotion to Triple-A

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 7/22/21

Chicago White Sox rookie Yermin Mercedes has decided to retire from baseball.

The 28-year-old's surprise announcement comes after he was demoted to Triple-A. Mercedes made the announcement via Instagram Wednesday.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The yerminator (@ymercedes73)

However, according to The Athletic's James Fegan, the White Sox have not yet received official word of Mercedes' decision.

White Sox say they are aware of Yermín Mercedes’ instagram post, but at this point have not recieved any official notice from Mercedes of his future plans, and that he’s still part of the active roster at Class AAA Charlotte.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) July 22, 2021

Mercedes was one of the biggest stories in baseball through the first few weeks of the 2021 season. After hitting .415/.455/.659 through the end of April with five home runs and 34 hits in 22 games, he was named AL Rookie of the Month.

However, his decline came soon thereafter. In May, he hit .221/.292/.326 with two home runs in 28 games. During that time, White Sox manager Tony La Russa ripped Mercedes for hitting a home run on a 3-0 count from a position player pitching in a blowout win.

Last month, Mercedes' struggles hit a new low, with the Dominican native slashing .159/.221/.190 in 18 games. His demotion to Triple-A came earlier this month.

Although Mercedes has been producing in Triple-A, he currently doesn't have much of a path back to the big leagues. Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger are sharing time at DH, and Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert should be returning soon from injury for the 58-38 White Sox.

If Mercedes does officially call it quits, his MLB career comes to an end with a line of .270/.327/.402 with seven home runs and 65 hits in 69 games.

More must-reads: