Shane Greene is in no rush to slap a label on where things stand.
The 37-year-old former Yankees, Dodgers and Tigers right-hander said he’s not actively trying to pitch right now, but he also isn’t closing the door on a return. Speaking on Baseball & Coffee Conversations with former major league pitcher Adam Ottavino, Greene made his current stance pretty clear.
“We’re not using the R word yet,” Greene said on Baseball & Coffee Conversations with former major league pitcher Adam Ottavino. “But we are not actively training to pitch. So life is good.”
For now, Greene is spending time in Florida helping former teammate Joe Jiménez as he works back from knee surgery. Jiménez is on the Atlanta Braves’ 60-day injured list, and Greene said the two have been throwing together regularly.
“So I’ve been throwing with him every other day for the last couple of months,” Greene said. “I am throwing, anything could happen, but not currently pursuing a job. But if somebody were to call, I’ll show up.”
That leaves Greene in a familiar in-between spot: not retired, not really hunting for the next contract either.
The 10-year veteran’s best stretch came with the Detroit Tigers, where he developed into one of the American League’s top closers. Greene was drafted by the New York Yankees and went on to appear in 345 big league games with the Yankees, Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.
His 2019 season in Detroit was the peak. Greene made the All-Star team after saving 22 games with a 1.18 ERA, then got dealt to Atlanta at the July 2019 deadline.
He later landed with the Dodgers late in the 2021 season after being released by the Braves, and made nine appearances for a Los Angeles club that won 106 games before being designated for assignment in September.
Greene returned to the Dodgers on a minor league deal in 2022 and got one more big league moment in Los Angeles, earning the win with two scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. After that, he spent time with the Yankees in 2022 and the Cubs in 2023, with his final major league appearance coming that July.
Most recently, Greene pitched for the Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League in April before heading back to the U.S. without a contract - at least for now.
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