Chicago, IL – Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood will reportedly announce his retirement on Friday.
According to ESPNChicago.com, Wood will call it quits on the same day of the start of the Windy City Series against the White Sox. The Chicago Tribune reports that Wood will be available out of the bullpen for the opener of the three-game set and could make it official after the contest.
Wood enters the day with a record of 0-2 and an earned run average of 8.64 in nine games this season. He's already spent time on the disabled list with right shoulder fatigue.
The 34-year-old right-hander returned to the club in January after agreeing to a one-year contract. He was 3-5 with a 3.35 ERA in 55 relief appearances last season.
Selected by the Cubs with the fourth overall pick of the 1995 draft, Wood had a fabulous start to his big league career in 1998, but suffered through a litany of injuries.
At the age of 21, Wood joined the Cubs for the 1998 season. In his fifth big league start, he tied a record with 20 strikeouts in a game. He went on to a 13-6 record with a 3.40 ERA in 26 starts, earning NL Rookie of the Year honors as the Cubs earned a wild card berth.
After missing the entire 1999 season to recover from Tommy John surgery, he returned in 2000 and was part of Chicago's rotation through 2005 before a shoulder injury in late August ended his season and kept him sidelined for most of 2006.
In 2007, he returned as a reliever and became the club's closer in 2008. He recorded 34 saves that season and left the Cubs as a free agent to sign with Cleveland in 2009.
Wood spent 1 1/2 years with the Indians before being traded to the Yankees and helped New York to the 2010 AL Championship Series before rejoining the Cubs for 2011.
In 445 career appearances heading into Friday, Wood has a record of 86-75 with a 3.67 ERA and 63 saves. He was an All-Star in 2003 with the Cubs when he led the NL in strikeouts with 266.