Apparently, there are take-backs in baseball.
One day after abruptly announcing that he would be retiring from baseball, White Sox designated hitter Yermin Mercedes took back his earlier statement and unretired.
On Wednesday, the 28-year-old — who made headlines earlier in the season for his incredible MLB hitting start — posted “it’s over” in large white letters to his Instagram.
“First of all I want to thank God for giving me life to the fans that without them I was nothing,” Mercedes wrote, per a Chicago Sun-Times translation of the original Spanish. “To my family for understanding me and always supporting … I walk away from baseball for a while God bless you. It’s over.”
To reporters, the catcher apologized for “my immaturity,” but did not further disclose what that was referring to.
The White Sox told the press that they had heard nothing from Mercedes about his retirement and announced that he would be on the active roster for Triple-A Charlotte Knights on Thursday. He was spotted in uniform for their Thursday night game and soon deleted his retirement post.
Mercedes posted an image of a phoenix rising from the ashes in an Instagram post on Thursday to announce that he would not be leaving baseball after all.
“I will never give up,” he wrote in Spanish. “I lasted 10 years in the minor leagues. My dream is to be a player established in the big leagues.
“I apologize.”
In addition, he apologized to his family, fans, and to the White Sox, thanking God for “guiding me the right way.”
Mercedes, a rookie who began his major league career going 8-for-8, cemented himself in MLB history with the most consecutive hits to kick off a season since 1900. He finished April hitting .415, blasting five home runs and 16 RBIs in 22 games; that month he earned Rookie of the Month honors.
The Yerminator — who had been in the minors since 2011 — had primarily been the designated hitter for the White Sox and was demoted to Triple-A amid a slump on July 2. According to reports, he posted his initial retirement message after being swapped out for a pinch hitter during the sixth inning.