Player News

• John Axford: Closes curtains on career

  03/13/2024 • By RotoWire

  Axford announced Wednesday via social media that he has retired from professional baseball. Axford's playing days were believed to be behind him after he underwent Tommy John surgery as a 38-year-old in September 2021, but after sitting out the 2022 season, he proceeded to pitch for the Canadian team during the 2023 World Baseball Classic last spring. The right-hander didn't end up signing elsewhere following the WBC and will now formally step away from the game. A veteran of 544 career appearances over parts of 11 big-league seasons, Axford notched 144 saves and posted a lifetime 3.90 ERA in 525.2 innings across stints with Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Oakland, Toronto and the Dodgers. He enjoyed his best season with the Brewers in 2011, when he led the majors with 46 saves and finished ninth in the National League Cy Young Award balloting.

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• John Axford: Competing in World Baseball Classic

  12/19/2022 • By RotoWire

  Axford (elbow) announced Monday via his personal Twitter account that he intends to pitch for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic this spring. After he recently resumed throwing bullpen sessions, Axford is presumably comfortable with where he stands in his recovery from his September 2021 Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent shortly after making his firs MLB appearance since the 2018 season. The veteran right-hander is set to turn 40 years old in April and isn't yet ruling out the possibility of pitching in affiliated ball after the World Baseball Classic, though he'll likely need a strong showing this spring just to land a minor-league deal in free agency.

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• John Axford: Throwing again

  06/06/2022 • By RotoWire

  Axford announced Monday via his personal Twitter account that he's resumed throwing for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery last September. The fact that the 39-year-old right-hander is starting up a throwing program again would seem to suggest that he's not yet considering retirement after having the elbow procedure. Barring any setbacks in his rehab program, Axford should be close to 100 percent recovered from the procedure by the end of 2022 or early in 2023, but he'll likely have to settle for a minor-league deal this winter if he wants to continue playing.

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• Brewers' John Axford: Moves to 60-day IL

  08/12/2021 • By RotoWire

  Axford (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Thursday. Axford's shift to the 60-day IL is simply procedural since he's dealing with significant structural damage in his elbow and won't pitch again this season. The Brewers haven't yet announced whether the 38-year-old will require surgery or if he'll be ready for the start of spring training in 2022.

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• Brewers' John Axford: Lands on IL with elbow injury

  08/03/2021 • By RotoWire

  Axford was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with an elbow injury, Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin reports. The team is not prepared to share a more specific injury designation, as more testing is required. Angel Perdomo was recalled to take Axford's place in the bullpen.

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