Cliff Lee’s pitching career is more than likely over

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladkk) It seemed like a long shot that Cliff Lee could make comeback to the big leagues after spending the better part of a year and a half rehabbing a torn flexor tendon in his pitching elbow.

Lee last pitched for the Phillies in July 2014 and he sat out all of 2015, avoiding surgery on his elbow as he feared that at his age it would be difficult to recover from the procedure.

Howeve, even without undergoing surgery, it’s proven too much for him to overcome. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal received word from Lee’s agent that this is likely it for the 37-year-old left-hander’s baseball career:

Sounds like Cliff Lee’s career is over. His agent, Darek Braunecker, told me, “We don’t anticipate him playing at this point.”

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 23, 2016

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The Phillies bought out Lee’s option for 2016, but he had still hoped to catch on with a team as a free agent and pitch this season. There were reports that up to 15 teams were interested in Lee, but it appears it’s not meant to be.

At his peak, Lee was among the top pitchers in the game, relying on masterful command to mow through opposing lineups. He was the American League Cy Young in 2008 while with the Indians, made four All-Star teams and pitched in two World Series, one with Philadelphia in 2009 and the other with Texas in 2010. Over his 13-year major-league career, Lee compiled a 143-91 record with a 3.52 ERA.

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