Trey Mancini, who made an MLB comeback after cancer, retires after ‘journey of a lifetime’

Trey Mancini came back from cancer in 2021, returned to the major leagues after two years away in 2026 and, throughout his inspiring MLB career, developed a reputation as a fan and clubhouse favorite.

Now Mancini, 34, is retiring from baseball after parts of eight MLB seasons. Mancini announced the news in an Instagram post Tuesday morning. He finishes his career with a .263 batting average and 129 home runs.

“This game has been the focal point of my life since my parents signed me up for T-ball 30 years ago,” Mancini wrote, “and I have immense gratitude for everything it has given me. Thank you to everyone along the way who made it the journey of a lifetime.”

In 2013, the Orioles first drafted Mancini out of Notre Dame with an eighth-round pick. He debuted with Baltimore in 2016 and went on to hit 83 home runs over three seasons from 2017-19.

In March 2020, Mancini was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer, discovered after a routine blood test in spring training.

Mancini missed all of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season but returned cancer-free and played for the Orioles in 2021, finishing the year with 21 home runs.

Mancini was traded to the Astros midseason in 2022 and went on to help Houston win the World Series. He came off the bench as a defensive replacement at first base and made a memorable diving stab on a Kyle Schwarber line drive in the eighth inning of Game 5.

Mancini signed with the Cubs in 2023 and played in 79 games. He did not play at all in 2024 but began a comeback in 2025, signing a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks. Mancini signed another minor-league deal with the Angels before the 2026 season. He considered retirement after a 1-for-16 spell in Triple A in early May.

Then Mancini adjusted his hand position, caught fire and earned his return to the major leagues on June 8, when he went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

“There was just something in there that just felt unfinished,” Mancini said at the time. “I can’t even explain it.”

Mancini was designated for assignment June 17 after going 4-for-13 in the 2026 season.

In his emotional Instagram post, Mancini thanked his wife, Sara, writing, “We have been through a lifetime’s worth of experiences together for the last seven years. You have stood by my side through both unimaginably difficult and incredibly euphoric times, and you are the strongest person I know.”

He also thanked his parents, sisters and family, in addition to teammates, coaches and also athletic trainers and doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

“Simply put,” Mancini wrote, “your proactivity and expertise saved my life, and I am forever indebted to you all.”

Mancini ended his note with a special thank you to baseball fans, specifically those in Baltimore who cheered him on through the best years of his career.

“There is nothing more special in sports than a connection between a team and their fans, and I was lucky enough to feel that everywhere I played,” he wrote.