Veteran infielder Rafael Furcal is retiring from baseball after 14 major league seasons.
"To play in the major leagues for 14 seasons was a dream come true,'' Furcal said in a statement. "I love the game, but at this point, I don't feel like I can play up to my standards anymore and want to spend more time with my beautiful family.''
The Kansas City Royals released him in spring training but later re-signed him to a minor league contract. He recently had been promoted to the team's Double-A club in the Texas League, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
He hit .240 with one double in 25 at-bats for Wilmington (Class A) and Northwest Arkansas.
Furcal didn't appear in a Cactus League game as he recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in winter ball and was attempting to return from the injury.
Furcal, 37, last played in the major leagues in June 2014 as a second baseman for the Miami Marlins. He was most recently an All-Star in 2012 when he played for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Furcal played nine games last year with Miami after missing all of the 2013 season following elbow reconstruction surgery.
He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2000 with the Atlanta Braves. He won a World Series title with the Cardinals in 2011 and once turned an unassisted triple play with the Braves in a 2003 game against the Cardinals.
In 14 major league seasons with the Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cardinals and Marlins he hit .281 with 113 home runs and 587 RBIs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
