Rangers' Jake Diekman: Will undergo stomach surgery, miss half of season

Diekman (stomach) will undergo surgery to help alleviate ulcerative colitis Jan. 25 and will miss at least half of the season, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Analysis:

This is unfortunate news for both Diekman and the Rangers, as the 29-year-old enjoyed a solid year in 2016, recording a 3.40 ERA while striking out 59 batters across 53 innings. He was also Texas' top southpaw setup man. The Rangers will likely turn to Alex Claudio to fill the left-handed void in the bullpen until Diekman is available to return.