ARLINGTON -- Rangers pitcher Jake Diekman, who made a remarkable recovery last season after undergoing three surgical procedures for ulcerative colitis, was selected Thursday as the recipient of the 2017 Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award.
The award is presented by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America to a player who has proven to be an inspiration for his team and demonstrates significant improvement over the previous season. It is named in memory of sports writer Richard Durrett, who died in 2014 at the age of 38.
Diekman missed the first five months of the season while going through the three procedures.