Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez was signed to a Minor League deal by the Washington Nationals in early July, but it looks like any attempts to comeback this season are over. According to Geoff Morrow of the The Patriot-News, the 44-year-old Hernandez is heading home to Miami to contemplate his future in baseball and perhaps await an offer from another team.

Hernandez joined the Harrisburg Senators, and after three weeks of pitching out of the Harrisburg’s bullpen he decided to call it quits.

“We didn’t want him to leave, but he felt like it was in his best interest,” Nationals director of player development Doug Harris said. “He was a great teammate, a class guy and a tremendous professional.”.

Sources close to Morrow said Hernandez left in part because the Nationals did not give him a Major League opportunity despite helping the organization’s highly touted Cuban pitcher Yunesky Maya earlier this summer.

Hernandez had a record of 1-1 with a 1.86 ERA in six appearances over 9.2 innings. His departure coincidentally occurred on the same day his brother, Livan Hernandez, signed a contract extension for 2012 with the Nationals.