Jake Diekman has said that he went through medical hell in 2017 to rid his body of ulcerative colitis, but all along his goal — aside from ridding himself of the disease — was to pitch at some point despite three major surgical procedures.
The left-hander accomplished his goal, doing as much between operations as (and often more than) his Mayo Clinic doctors would allow, and returned Sept. 1 to the Texas Rangers’ active roster.
His journey and the work he did along the way help him easily earn the fourth annual Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award, given to the Rangers player who gave his all during the season.