Willingham announced his retirement from baseball Monday, ESPN reports. Willingham reportedly received an offer from a contending team to return for the 2015 season, but chose to call it quits instead. The 35-year-old played with five different ball clubs over the course of his career and won a silver slugger award while with the Twins in 2012. Willingham hit .215/.346/.397 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI in 2014 and .253/.358/.397 with 195 home runs and 632 RBI over his 11-year major league career.

Willingham has told people close to him he plans to retire at the end of the season, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. Willingham is in the final season of a three-year, $21 contract and will be a free agent this winter. At age 36 next year and having missed close to 40 percent of his team's games the past two years due to injuries, Willingham apparently has decided to call it quits. However, his mind could change if he gets a large free agent offer or has a strong postseason.

Willingham is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Red Sox, according to Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star. Willingham started five of six game as the designated hitter from Sept. 6 through Sept. 11, but Sunday's game will mark the third straight contest he has opened on the bench. Norichika Aoki will serve as the Royals' DH Sunday for the second straight day.

Willingham (ribs) is back in the lineup Saturday against the Yankees, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. It seems Willingham's rib cage soreness has subsided to a large extent, as manager Ned Yost has signed off on the 35-year-old returning from his six-game absence. Willingham will, however, be restricted to DH duty Saturday against right-hander Brandon McCarthy, suggesting he still may not be quite at 100 percent.

Willingham (ribs) remains out of the lineup Friday. Friday's absence will mark Willingham's sixth straight, as it seem his rib issue is a bit more serious than initially let on. He took batting practice Tuesday and was reportedly available off the bench, but Willingham did not end up making an appearance during the Rangers series.

Willingham (ribs) took batting practice Tuesday and was available off the bench, the Associated Press reports. Although he was not used, it sounds like Willingham's return to the lineup is just around the corner. Keep tabs on him prior to Wednesday's game.

Willingham is dealing with soreness in a rib cage muscle and won't swing a bat until Tuesday at the earliest, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. There's some concern that Willingham might be dealing with an oblique strain, which would likely sideline him even longer than the injury the Royals believe he's currently dealing with. The team's scarce usage of Willingham after acquiring from the Twins on Aug. 11 has been surprising considering the team gave up a pretty good prospect in Jason Adam to acquire him, and his usage will likely only decline from here. Eric Hosmer returned from the DL on Monday to bump Billy Butler back to DH duties, and an ailing Willingham will have little chance at surpassing the latter on the depth chart.

Willingham is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Twins, Josh Vernier of 610 Sports Radio reports. After he was dropped from the lineup the previous two games, Willingham returned to starting role Tuesday but failed to capitalize on it, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He's slashing a respectable .282/.364/.538 over 13 games with the Royals, but manager Ned Yost still seems hesitant to turn DH duties over to him on a permanent basis. He'll continue to work in a timeshare with Raul Ibanez, who will enter the lineup Wednesday.

Willingham is out of the lineup for a second straight game Monday against the Yankees, Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star reports. Willingham is 1-for-6 with three strikeouts in his career against Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda, but wouldn't seem significant enough to justify his absence from the lineup. The Royals haven't passed along any word that Willingham is dealing with an injury, so it seems manager Ned Yost simply preferred to roll with Raul Ibanez at DH for the second straight game for reasons unbeknownst to the rest of us.

Willingham out of the lineup Sunday against the Rangers, Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City reports. Willingham will sit following his first no-hit start since Aug. 14. Raul Ibanez gets the start as the designated hitter and will bat sixth for the Royals on Sunday.