Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman retires after 16 MLB seasons

Ryan Zimmerman announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Tuesday after 16 seasons, all with the Washington Nationals.

The veteran infielder issued a statement announcing his retirement via CAA Baseball in which he thanked the Nationals' front office, managers and coaches, trainers and medical staff, teammates, his agents and his family.

The Nationals took Zimmerman with their first pick in the 2005 draft soon after the team moved from Montreal to Washington. The 37-year-old retires as the Nationals' career leader in games played (1,799), runs scored (963), hits (1,846), total bases (3,159), doubles (417), home runs (284) and RBIs (1,061).

A two-time All-Star, Zimmerman helped the franchise win its World Series championship in 2019.

He didn't play in 2020, choosing to sit out because of concerns about his family's health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. His mother has multiple sclerosis, and Zimmerman and his wife had their third child in 2020.

He hit .243 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs last season and retires with a career batting average of .277.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.