Kris Medlen elected to retire Sunday, wrapping up a career that’ll have him fondly remembered as a Brave.
Medlen, 32, pitched for the Braves from 2009-13 after the team selected him in the 10th round of the 2006 draft. He’d been with the Diamondbacks this season.
He split time between the rotation and bullpen throughout his Braves tenure. Medlen was most successful in 2012, when he posted a 1.57 ERA across 138 innings.
But recurring injuries prevented Medlen from establishing himself in the team’s plans. Following two Tommy John surgeries, the Braves non-tendered him in December 2014.
It ended a five-year run for Medlen in which he earned a 2.95 ERA.
The California native pitched 82-2/3 innings for the Royals over the next two years, again limited by shoulder problems. He won his only World Series in 2015.
After contemplating retirement, Medlen rejoined the Braves on a minor-league deal in January 2017. He went 5-8 with a 4.95 ERA in 116-1/3 innings across three levels.
There was some thought Medlen could be a September call-up, if not sooner, but that time never came.
Still, Medlen was emotional to return to the franchise that developed him.
“Just driving up to the ballparks I’ve played in, it’s nostalgic, a little surreal,” Medlen said last June. “I left for two years, I wanted to come back and I feel like I owe the organization everything I’ve got. I didn’t like the way things ended, with me being hurt and stuff, but I’m back and I feel like this organization is my family.
“I’m smiling again. I haven’t smiled in three or four years.”
Medlen signed with the Diamondbacks last January. He completed his comeback to the bigs, though the results weren’t pretty. The Astros tagged him for seven earned runs across four innings May 4.
Medlen was optioned back to Triple-A, where he’d only spend a few weeks until calling it a career.
