NEW YORK (AP) – Texas Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder has been named the American League’s Comeback Player of the Year.
Fielder compiled a .305 batting average, hit 23 home runs and drove in 98 runs this season after being sidelined for all but 42 games in 2014 due to a herniated neck disk that required surgery. The Rangers acquired Fielder from the Detroit Tigers in a trade for second baseman Ian Kinsler following the 2013 season.
The National League’s comeback award went to New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey, who missed the entire 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Harvey returned this year to compile a 13-8 won-lost record with a 2.71 ERA in 29 starts, helping New York reach the World Series for the first time since 2000.
The Comeback of the Year Awards, instituted in 2005, are voted on by the 30 team beat writers from MLB.com.