Infielder who helped recent Dodgers playoff push retires after year away from MLB

The last time infielder Kolten Wong put on a Major League uniform, it was for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2023 NLDS.

Wong had signed with the Dodgers in August of 2023 after being released by the Seattle Mariners earlier in the season. Despite posting a .468 OPS with Seattle and being let go, a reinvigorated Wong arrived in Los Angeles and contributed to the Dodgers' playoff push.

Wong homered in his first Dodgers at-bat. Wong then hit .300 with two home runs and an .853 OPS for the Dodgers in September. He appeared in three playoff games that season, but the Dodgers were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Division Series.

On Monday, Wong announced his retirement from professional baseball after 11 seasons, doing so at his alma mater, the University of Hawaii, as part of a ceremony honoring him for his tenure. Wong did not play in the Major Leagues in 2024.

Kolten Wong's MLB journey after the Dodgers

Wong was granted free agency by the Dodgers after the 2023 season. In February of 2024, he signed a minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. When he did not make the Opening Day roster, Wong triggered the opt out in his contract and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks a few weeks later.

In 31 games for the Triple-A affiliate Reno Aces, Wong hit a respectable .271 with a .722 OPS before the Diamondbacks released him.

While he brought a veteran presence and elite glove to the organization, Arizona did not find it valuable enough to put him on a 26-man roster with some exciting young talent.

Wong was not signed for the rest of 2024, and decided to hang up his cleats this week. He retires with 10 years and 31 days of service time, two Gold Glove Awards, and 973 career hits. He'll always be most closely associated with the Cardinals, the team he spent 2013-2020 with at the big-league level. While a member of the Cardinals, he faced off with the Dodgers in St. Louis' frustrating 2013 NLCS and 2014 NLDS victories.