Pearce said Tuesday in an interview with Mike Mutnanksy of SportsRadio 93.7 WEEI-FM Boston that he has "officially retired" from professional baseball.
Pearce previously indicated in December that he had "unofficially retired," but after taking a few more months to evaluate his options, he's decided to hang up his spikes for good. He'll step away from the game after appearing in the majors in parts of 13 seasons with eight clubs, posting a .772 OPS and 91 home runs in 766 games. The 37-year-old's most memorable moment came in the 2018 Fall Classic, when he slugged three home runs for the Red Sox en route to earning World Series MVP honors.
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Steve Pearce: Likely ending career
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Pearce (knee) told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com via text message that he has "unofficially retired" from baseball.
Pearce is a free agent this winter after back and knee injuries limited him to just 29 games with the Red Sox in 2019, but that was enough for him to secure 10 years of big-league service time and the fully vested pension that comes with it. Set to turn 37 years old in April, Pearce isn't likely to earn anything more than a minor-league deal in free agency, so he'll step away from the game following a productive career as a short-side platoon man at first base, designated hitter and in the corner outfield. Pearce, who slugged 91 home runs and posted a 110 wRC+ across 766 games, is best known for his heroics in the 2018 postseason, when he earned World Series MVP honors for Boston.
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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Ponders retirement
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Pearce (knee) is considering retirement after 13 seasons, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Pearce, the reigning World Series MVP, has been limited to 29 games this season due to back and knee injuries.
Pearce (knee) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Sunday.
This move clears a 40-man roster spot for Chris Owings, whose contract was purchased in a corresponding move. Pearce recently suffered a partially torn PCL while rehabbing a back injury. The partial tear will not require surgery but could mean the end of his 2019 campaign.
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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Suffers partially torn PCL
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Pearce suffered a partially torn PCL but will not require surgery, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
He seems to have suffered the injury while rehabbing his back injury. Pearce has been on the shelf since May 31 and may be done for the season after this latest setback, although he is still working to try to get back this year. He was in Boston this weekend to get treatment.
Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Unable to run consistently
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Pearce (back/knee) is currently unable to run consistently at this point in his rehab process, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports.
Manager Alex Cora provided the discouraging update to Pearce's recovery, who's been on the shelf since June 1. The 36-year-old has been rehabbing at the team's spring training facilities in Florida since injuring his knee in a rehab game in early July. It's unclear whether the setback delays Pearce's expected return, but it could still be several weeks until he rejoins the major-league club.
Manager Alex Cora suggested Pearce (back/knee) is not close to returning from the injured list, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Pearce is currently rehabbing at the team's spring training facilities in Fort Myers, Florida, though he is still limited to hitting off a tee. "Just rehabbing down there," Cora said. "Nothing even close to (being) back." Pearce was originally expected to miss another month after suffering a setback at the beginning of July, but given his lack of progress so far, it now sounds like the veteran first baseman will be sidelined for longer.
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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Expects to miss another month
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Pearce (back) is expected to miss another month after injuring his knee in a recent rehab game, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
Pearce had been working his way back from a lower-back strain, an injury which has kept him out for over a month already, when he fell in a game and hurt his knee. He isn't expected to require surgery but isn't close to returning. He'll have to greatly improve on his .180/.245/.258 slash line once healthy if he's to work his way back into a significant role.
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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Experiences setback in rehab
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Pearce (back) suffered a setback during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket and isn't expected to rejoin the Red Sox during the final week before the All-Star break, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
According to a source close to Pearce, the veteran first baseman's setback is related to knee pain rather than the lower-back strain that landed him on the injured list a month ago. Pearce, who had appeared in nine rehab games before sitting out Pawtucket's last three contests, is without a timeline to resume his minor-league assignment.
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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Won't be ready for London series
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Manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Pearce (back) is unlikely to make the trip with the Red Sox to London for the team's two-game series with the Yankees over the weekend, the Associated Press reports.
Pearce hasn't experienced any reported setbacks in his recovery from a lower-back strain since beginning a minor-league rehab assignment June 14, but the Red Sox appear mindful of not rushing the 36-year-old back to the big leagues until they're confident he's 100 percent healthy. The reigning World Series MVP hasn't yet settled into a groove during the rehab assignment, going 4-for-27 with 13 strikeouts across eight games. He'll likely play at least a few more contests for Triple-A Pawtucket before potentially returning from the 10-day injured list next week.
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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Plays three straight days
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Pearce (back) played for a third consecutive day Friday, going 0-for-4 while starting at first base for Triple-A Pawtucket.
Pearce recently had his rehab moved to Pawtucket and played first base twice sandwiched around an appearance as the designated hitter. "I actually watched the game [Thursday]," manager Alex Cora told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. "He was moving well. See how he reacts to playing back-to-back games and all that stuff. So far, so good." Pearce will likely be activated before the end of the team's six-game homestand.
