Omar Vizquel has been named the Tigers' first base coach under new manager Brad Ausmus. Vizquel officially ended his playing career after the 2012 season and spent 2013 as a roving infield instructor with the Angels. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times was the first to confirm the reports of the hire that were streaming Monday out of Venezuela.

Omar Vizquel will start at shortstop Wednesday against the Twins. Vizquel, 45, plans to retire after this season, so this will be his final game in the big leagues. The 11-time Gold Glove Award winner enters Wednesday action tied with Mel Ott for 40th all-time with 2,876 career hits.

Omar Vizquel said Tuesday that he is planning to retire from baseball at the end of this season. "This will be my last year," said Vizquel. "I've enjoyed this game a lot, but I think it's time to pursue a new career as a coach or manager, and hopefully I'll get that opportunity in the future." The 45-year-old infielder has taken only 58 at-bats this season with the Blue Jays.

Omar Vizquel went 0-for-1 in pinch-hitting duty in Tuesday's loss to the Athletics. Coming off a season when he hit .252 in 167 at-bats, Vizquel has found difficulty at the plate with only two hits in 16 at-bats (.125). With playing time scarce, the 45-year-old remains valuable purely for his defense and leadership.

Omar Vizquel drew his second start of the season against the Orioles on Thursday, but failed to get any closer to 3000 hits, finishing the night 0-for-3. Vizquel still stands 158 hits away from the milestone, though he's probably a long shot to hit the mark. He's struggled with the bat in the early going of the season, hitting just .091 (1-for-11). He still provides tremendous veteran leadership and plays fantastic defense however.

Blue Jays purchased the contract of INF Omar Vizquel from Triple-A Las Vegas. Vizquel entered camp as the favorite for a utility infielder job and sealed the deal by batting .395 (15-for-38) with two doubles, one home run and five RBI this spring. The 11-time Gold Glove award winner is entering his 24th season in the big leagues and will turn 45 later this month.

Omar Vizquel proved on Monday that he can still get it done, finishing 1-for-3 with two RBI and making some stellar plays in the field. The 44-year-old is not done yet. Despite playing at a less familiar third base, he looked comfortable in the field. And now batting .455 in 11 spring at-bats, he is making the case for at least part-time major league work in what likely will be his final season.

Omar Vizquel indicated Thursday in Blue Jays camp that 2012 will likely be his final season. Vizquel told MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm that he would like to jump immediately into coaching upon retirement with the hope of eventually ascending to the role of manager. The 44-year-old infielder signed a minor league contract with Toronto this offseason and is vying for a backup job.

Blue Jays signed INF Omar Vizquel to a minor league contract. The deal includes a spring training invite. ESPN's Jerry Crasnick initially reported that Vizquel signed a one-year contract, but it appears he'll have to beat out Mike McCoy and/or Luis Valbuena for a spot on the Opening Day roster. Vizquel, who turns 45 in April, is sitting on 2,841 career hits.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that the Blue Jays have signed Omar Vizquel to a one-year contract. Some wondered whether this would be the end for the veteran infielder, but he'll return for his 24th season in the big leagues. Vizquel, who turns 45 in April, batted .251/.287/.305 with seven doubles and eight RBI in 182 plate appearances with the White Sox last season. He'll function as a utility infielder for Toronto.