Giants' Sandoval loves spring ovations, but he's 'not retired' yet

San Francisco Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval was celebrated by Oracle Park fans Tuesday in what appeared to be the final game of his career, but Kung Fu Panda may not be ready to hang up his cleats just yet.

"Everyone thinks I'm retired," Sandoval said after Tuesday's game, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic. "I'm not retired."

Sandoval said he would accept playing for the Giants' Triple-A affiliate if given the opportunity, but he hasn't had that conversation with the team's front office yet.

The 37-year-old played in 16 spring training games for the Giants this year after last appearing in the majors in 2021. On Tuesday, he entered in the sixth inning to play third base against the Oakland Athletics amid a roaring ovation from fans.

Three innings later, Sandoval recorded a broken-bat single during his only plate appearance before he was removed for a pinch runner. Oracle Park treated him to a standing ovation before he was greeted by a series of high-fives from teammates in the dugout.

"A lot of things happened in my career, but I think this one was one of the best moments that I have so far," Sandoval said after the game.

The two-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion spent eleven of his fourteen seasons with the Giants, posting a .773 career OPS with 153 home runs in 1,380 games.