Aug. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Former Most Valuable Player Jason Giambi was released by the Oakland Athletics less than a year into his second stint with the Major League Baseball team.

Giambi’s .193 batting average was the worst in the major leagues when he was placed on the disabled list July 20 with a strained right quadriceps muscle, the team said today in announcing his release.

The five-time All-Star was in his first season with the A’s after seven years with the New York Yankees. He played his first seven seasons, from 1995-2001, in Oakland, and was named the 2000 American League MVP.

Giambi, 38, had 11 home runs and 40 runs batted in during 83 games this season. He has 407 homers, 1,319 RBI and a .282 batting average in a 15-year career that also was marked by him saying he used performance-enhancing drugs.

Giambi’s contract was worth between $4 million and $4.5 million with a club option for 2010 worth $5.5 million, according to MLB.com.

To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at mlevinson@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: August 7, 2009 14:45 EDT