Prince Fielder To Undergo Season-Ending Neck Surgery

Prince Fielder will miss the rest of the season after he undergoes neck surgery later this week. It will be the second time in three years the Texas Rangers designated hitter has had a campaign derailed by a neck injury.

Fielder was hitting a dismal .212 this year with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 89 games. The 32-year-old’s fWAR currently sits at a career-low -1.8, so if anything his absence will likely help the Rangers.

Fielder similarly needed neck surgery in the middle of the 2014 season, then bounced back in 2015 with an All-Star campaign. Last year he hit .305 with 23 home runs and 98 RBI. He simply couldn’t duplicate that success this season, and a herniated disk at C4-C5 in his neck will require surgery.

Fielder’s previous neck injury required a spinal fusion procedure, but there is no word on what kind of surgery he will need this time. There is a very real chance it could be a career-ending condition.

The 12-year veteran signed a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers before the 2012 season. After two years there, he was traded to the Rangers, where he has spent the past three seasons.

Fielder is a six-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger winner, but he’s owed $24 million in each of the next four seasons. That’s $96 million through 2020 for a guy hitting more than 60 points below his (listed) weight.

I think it’s fair to say Prince Fielder is currently lapping the field as the player with the worst contract in baseball.