The Rangers had high hopes for Prince Fielder after acquiring him from the Detroit Tigers prior to the 2014 season. But the designated hitter, who had missed just one game in the previous five seasons, had season-ending surgery on a herniated disc in his neck in May and played in just 42 games.
The Mets had high hopes for right-hander Matt Harvey when he was the National League's starting pitcher in the 2013 All-Star Game in his first full season in the big leagues. Six weeks later, he was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2014 season.