Texas Rangers slugger Prince Fielder will undergo season-ending neck surgery for the second time in his career on Friday, the Rangers announced earlier today.

Fielder received a second opinion on Monday, and Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said that Dr. Drew Dossett recommended that surgery would be the best option.

“Obviously, Prince is a big part of this team. We know what he can do,”Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre said. “He was a great asset for us last year. We’re going to miss him, but hopefully he’ll get right.”

The speculation across the league is that Fielder’s career is in jeopardy due to this being the second time he is undergoing major neck surgery. In 2014, Fielder underwent neck fusion surgery due to cervical fusion of two disks, which is just below the area that will require surgery this Friday.

“He rehabbed once from it and came back. I think with each additional surgery in that area it increases the risk involved and just the overall, his ability to get back,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “But it’s not for me to speculate about that here today.”

Fielder finishes the 2016 season with a career-low .212 batting average to go with 8 home runs and 44 RBI’s in 89 games. Fielder is signed until 2020 on a nine-year, $214 million contract he signed back in the 2011 off-season with the Detroit Tigers before he was traded to Texas in-exchange for Ian Kinsler.

Fielder is a career .283/.382/.506 hitter with 319 home runs and 1,028 RBI’s. He has played 11 big league seasons split between the Brewers, Tigers, and the Rangers.

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