WASHINGTON - Former major leaguer Rick Ankiel has been hired by the Washington Nationals as a "life skills coordinator" to mentor players in the minors.
Ankiel retired as a player after an 11-season career that began as a 20-year-old pitcher for St. Louis and ended in 2013 as an outfielder for the New York Mets, with stops in Kansas City, Atlanta, Washington and Houston.
He played for the Nationals in 2011 and 2012.