Pirates pitcher Kirby Yates, 39, said after the team’s 4-3 loss to the Tigers on Saturday that the 2026 season will be his last. He said he had been “running on fumes” and felt it was time to retire.
Yates made his first career start in Saturday’s game. His first 517 career appearances had all been in relief, making him the first Pirate in the Modern Era, which the article dates from 1901, to make his first start after that many relief appearances.
