CC Sabathia has thrown the final pitch of his career.
The Yankees removed Sabathia from their American League Championship Series roster Friday after the 39-year-old left-hander suffered a partial dislocation of his left shoulder joint in Game 4 on Thursday night.
Right-hander Ben Heller has been added to the Yankees' roster in his place. The Yankees and Astros will meet in Game 5 on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Houston leads the best-of-seven series 3-1.
Sabathia, a six-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner, had previously announced his plans to retire after this season, and the roster move makes him ineligible to return this postseason.
Sabathia pitched two-thirds of an inning during the Yankees' 8-3 loss Thursday. He left the game in the eighth inning after feeling discomfort in his shoulder, and he was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation as he walked into the dugout."It's just kind of fitting," Sabathia told reporters Friday afternoon. "I threw until I couldn't anymore."
Sabathia was left off the Yankees' AL Division Series roster against the Twins due to concerns about his shoulder but was brought back for the ALCS.
This season, Sabathia's 11th in the Bronx, he was 5-8 with a 4.95 ERA.
