Former All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder has been declared medically disabled and will not play in MLB again. The 32-year-old has dealt with lingering neck injuries over the past few seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers.
The Texas Rangers are expected to hold a press conference for first baseman/designated hitter Prince Fielder to announce the end of his playing career, per Ken Rosenthal.
Sources: Prince Fielder’s career appears over. #Rangers expected to hold press conference tomorrow.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 9, 2016
Fielder underwent his second neck surgery on July 29 after previously undergoing surgery in May of 2014. The neck issues have turned Fielder into a shell of his former self, as he was hitting just .212/.292/.334 with eight home runs in 89 games this season. Rosenthal wrote that he was declared medically disabled and doctors will not clear him to play.
While he was a consistent .300 average and 30-home run threat during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, he began to decline when moving to the Detroit Tigers. After missing most of 2014, Fielder was rather productive in 2015.
In 158 games last season, Fielder hit .305 with a .841 OPS and 23 homers and 98 RBI. But that proved to be a fluke, as his neck issues set him down again this season.
Rosenthal notes that Fielder is signed through 2020 and is guaranteed $24 million annually. Fielder won’t technically be retiring, so he’ll still receive the rest of the money owed to him.
The Rangers do have an insurance policy for his contract, so their financial commitment will be roughly $9 million a year, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Believe that insurance policy will pay 50% based on Rangers commitment of $18 million. https://t.co/IHoUhMZ4z3
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) August 9, 2016
Fielder will leave behind an impressive, albeit short, legacy. Fielder had six straight 30-home run seasons from 2007-2012, but hit just 25 in 2013 and was unable to top 23 in the past three years.
Despite an early end to his season this year, he picked up his 1,000th career RBI on April 29, and will retire with 319 career home runs.
Fielder will end his career with the same amount of home runs in his career as his father, Cecil Fielder.
Fielder was named to six All-Star teams and finished in the top five of MVP voting three times. He also won the Home Run Derby twice, and will go down as one of the more exciting competitors in the history of the event. He also led the National League in homers in 2007 when he hit 50 – and in turn vaulted himself into the superstar conversation.
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While losing Fielder is a blow to the Rangers, they have Mitch Moreland at first base and a rotating option of players to play designated hitter.