Yankees 1B Jay Bruce retiring after 14 seasons

Following a slow start to his 14th season, New York Yankees first baseman and outfielder Jay Bruce announced his retirement on Sunday.

The three-time All-star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner is batting .118 (4-for-34) with one homer and three RBIS through 10 games while filling in for injured first baseman Luke Voit.

“After 14 incredible seasons, I’ve decided to make the very difficult decision to retire from baseball,” Bruce said in a statement released by MLB Network. “All I ever wanted to be ‘when I grew up’ was a baseball player, and to say that I got to live out my dream would be the understatement of a lifetime. This sport gave me more than I could’ve ever asked for.”

He was available to play in Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, but was not in the lineup, with his retirement becoming official afterward, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday morning.

“He came to me Friday at the start of the series and had a long conversation about it,” Boone said. “It’s been a great run for him and he’s been a real pro for us.”

Bruce signed a minorleague deal with the Yankees in February that included a $1.35 million salary for making the bigleague roster.

“Ultimately I just felt like I couldn’t perform at the level I expected from myself,” Bruce said. “For me to do what I needed to do, it just wasn’t in the cards. It’s tough but I feel at peace with it.”

The left-handed hitter has a lifetime .244 average with 319 home runs, 951 RBIS and 1,455 hits in 1,650 games.