Veteran MLB catcher Robinson Chirinos announced his retirement on Twitter Wednesday after 11 seasons in the league. The Venezuelan catcher spent most of his career with the Texas Rangers but played for six teams between 2011 and 2022.

“With a happy, yet heavy heart, I am announcing my retirement from professional baseball,” Chirinos said. “After much contemplation and reflection, I have decided to close this chapter of my life. It has not been an easy decision, but I feel that it is the right one for me as I have given my heart and soul to this sport over so many years.”

Born in Venezuela, Chirinos signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs in 2000 at the age of 16. He spent more than a decade in Chicago’s farm system until he was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011. He made his MLB debut with the team but did not make the 2012 roster because of a concussion. He was later traded to the Texas Rangers where he played from 2013 to 2018 and again in 2020.

Over the course of his career, Chirinos batted .226 with 95 career homers, but these numbers are deflated by unsuccessful stints with the Mets, Cubs and Orioles later in his career. In his prime, he was a dependable bat for the Rangers and later the Houston Astros, hitting 17 home runs for the latter team in 2019 at age 35. He also caught Justin Verlander’s third career no-hitter that season.

In 2017 and 2023, Chirinos got to represent Venezuela at the World Baseball Classic. He thanked his nation’s baseball team, as well as all the MLB organizations he played for, in his sendoff message.

“Baseball has been more than just a game to me,” Chirinos said. “It has been my passion, my love, and my identity for as long as I can remember. From little league to the major leagues, I have spent my life pursuing my dream of becoming a professional baseball player.”

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was ejected Wednesday night after he helped start an all-out brawl between his team and the Texas Rangers, and later admitted he doesn’t understand a new MLB rule related to the fight.

Matt Kemp, Robinson Chirinos Ejected After Dodgers-Rangers Fight

The brawl started in the third inning after Kemp tried to score from second base on Enrique Hernandez’s single to right field. The ball was tossed to home plate well before Kemp reached it but he still decided to dive for the score. He crashed hard into Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos and knocked him over, even causing Chirinos’s helmet to come off.

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Unsurprisingly, Chirinos became upset and a shoving match between him and Kemp ensued before both teams’ benches cleared at Dodger Stadium. The two players were ejected from the contest, which the Dodgers won 3-2 in 11 innings.

Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels even attempted to hold back Kemp as Chirinos tried to throw punches at him. Carlos Perez and Joc Pederson replaced Chirinos and Kemp, respectively.

After the game, Kemp dismissed the incident as simply “two guys shoving each other, and it’s over,” according to ESPN.

Kemp added he does not fully comprehend the league’s new rules regarding runners and catchers, and believes many other players are also confused by it. New rules say runners cannot crash into catchers, and that the latter need to give the former a clear lane to reach the plate. In this case, Chirino stepped directly into Kemp’s path to home base to make the catch.

“I think it’s unclear to everybody,” Kemp said about the newer rule. “He was blocking the plate. I don’t know the rule. I don’t even know how it works. I didn’t have a clear path to slide. All I could really think about when I saw him blocking the plate was Washington when I slid into home and messed up my ankle. I didn’t want to do that again.”

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Crew chief Bill Welke reportedly stated following the game that the Dodgers outfielder didn’t break the rule.

No suspensions have as of yet been announced for Kemp, Chirinos or any other players involved in Wednesday’s brawl.

The Dodgers (35-32) are second in the NL West, two games behind Arizona. Los Angeles next hosts San Francisco on Friday at 10:10pm EST for the opener of a three-game series.

The Rangers (27-43) are fifth in the AL West.