Shohei Ohtani’s former teammate Heaney announces retirement; 34-year-old left-hander concludes 12-year MLB career

Former MLB left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney revealed his retirement on December 29 via social media, concluding his 12-year tenure in the majors. The 34-year-old expressed, “I’m retiring from the baseball field, yet I aim to contribute to the world more than what I have taken.”

Heaney was selected 12th overall in the first round of the 2012 draft by the Miami Marlins and made his MLB debut just two years later in 2014. In 2015, he joined the Los Angeles Angels and was teammates with Shohei Ohtani from 2018 to 2021. Subsequently, he played for the New York Yankees, entered free agency during the offseason, then signed with the Texas Rangers, and had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2025, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates but was released before the trade deadline, after which he rejoined the Dodgers on a minor league contract until the season’s end.

Throughout his MLB career, Heaney appeared in 230 games, starting 208 of them, compiling a record of 56 wins and 72 losses with an ERA of 4.57, and striking out 1,156 batters. His career highlight came in 2023 when he won the World Series with the Rangers. That season, he pitched in 34 games (28 starts), posting a 10-6 record with a 4.15 ERA, and delivered a strong performance in the World Series, throwing 5.2 innings while allowing only one run.

In the 2025 season, Heaney pitched a total of 122.1 innings and was expected to secure another team contract during the offseason, but he ultimately chose to retire. In his statement, he wrote, “I am stepping away from baseball, but I hope to give back to the world more than I have received.”