Hiroshima Carp infielder Takahiro Arai on Wednesday announced he will retire from baseball at the end of the 2018 season, drawing the curtain on his 20-year playing career.

The 41-year-old, who started his professional career with the Carp in 1999, said he decided to hang up his cleats after failing to meet the fans' expectations. He has a .222 batting average over 49 games this season.

"I feel bad letting my fans down. Considering where the Carp are heading, I felt this year would be best," Arai said in a press conference at Mazda Stadium.