Chicago White Sox DH Adam LaRoche intends to retire

Chicago White Sox designated hitter Adam LaRoche informed the club on Tuesday that he intends to retire.

LaRoche told his teammates he is dealing with personal issues but he declined to expound on that with reporters.

The left-handed hitting LaRoche is entering the final year of a contact that would pay him $13 million.

"I've decided to step away from baseball," LaRoche told reporters. "I'll have more in a day or two.

"I want to sleep on it again. I didn't come in yesterday because I wanted to make sure it was the right move and not make an emotional decision. I'm confident it is. Out of my respect for these guys and [general manager] Rick [Hahn] they asked me to give it a day or two to confirm."

The 36-year-old LaRoche has played in just two games this spring and homered in one of them. He played on Saturday and left the contest with spasms in his lower back.

LaRoche was a major disappointment last season after signing a two-year, $25 million contract. He batted just .207 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs.

LaRoche has 255 career homers and has belted 20 or more in nine different seasons. He hit a career-high 33 for the Washington Nationals in 2012.

In addition to the Nationals (2011-14) and White Sox (2015), LaRoche also played for the Atlanta Braves (2004-06, 2009), Pittsburgh Pirates (2007-09), Boston Red Sox (2009) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2010).