Brandon Crawford: Everything you need to know

Crawford announced his retirement from professional baseball Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. The veteran shortstop signed with the Cardinals in February and was released in August after he posted a .545 OPS in 29 games. Crawford spent the first 13 seasons of his career in San Francisco and earned three All-Star nods, and he will close things out with 147 home runs and a .249/.318/.395 slash line in 1,682 games.

The Cardinals released Crawford on Tuesday. Crawford appeared in in just four games following the All-Star break and went 2-for-9 with a double and five strikeouts. The 37-year-old was signed in February to provide a veteran presence at shortstop, but rookie Masyn Winn hit the ground running this season and hasn't needed much time off. Crawford struggled in his limited opportunities at the plate and had a .169/.262/.282 slash line in 80 plate appearances.

Crawford went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Rangers. Crawford has served as a backup option on the left side of the Cardinals' infield, but he's seen limited playing time behind Masyn Winn and Nolan Arenado. Tuesday's game was just his sixth in July, and he's gone 3-for-13 with a walk and four strikeouts in those contests. For the season, the veteran is batting .182 with a .583 OPS, one home run, four RBI, five runs scored, five doubles and no stolen bases over 75 plate appearances.