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Tigers to honor retiring Victor Martinez before slugger's final game Saturday

MLB, Detroit Tigers

Victor Martinez will be in the lineup for one final time Saturday in Detroit. 

The longtime Tigers slugger announced before Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Royals that he will finish his 16-season career on Saturday. 

Martinez will sit out Sunday's series finale against Kansas City and accompany the team on its final road trip without playing.

"I feel like I owe it to the fans to have my final at-bats here," said Martinez, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony.

Martinez, 39, spent seven seasons with Detroit, eight with the Cleveland Indians and two with the Boston Red Sox. A five-time All-Star, he reached the postseason five times but never advanced to a World Series. 

"When I say I'm leaving this game with no regrets, I'm going to leave the game with no regrets," said Martinez, who is hitting. 249 with nine home runs and 54 RBIs this season. "I'm going to go home happy because I know I left everything. I wouldn't do anything else. I'm going to be at home sitting on that couch, saying that I left everything in this game."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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