Jake Diekman is a professional baseball player who has played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was born on January 21, 1987, in Wymore, Nebraska, and attended Cloud County Community College in Kansas before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 30th round of the 2007 MLB draft.
Diekman made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2012 and played for them until 2015. During his time with the Phillies, he was primarily used as a relief pitcher and had a career ERA of 3.84. In 2015, he was traded to the Texas Rangers, where he played for the next four seasons.
While with the Rangers, Diekman continued to be a reliable relief pitcher, appearing in 150 games and recording 168 strikeouts. He also had a career-high 3.69 ERA in 2017. In 2018, he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he played for the remainder of the season.
In 2019, Diekman signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. He appeared in 48 games for the Royals, recording 63 strikeouts and a 4.43 ERA. In August of that year, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he finished out the season.
Diekman re-signed with the Athletics for the 2020 season and had a strong year, appearing in 21 games and recording a 0.42 ERA. He also recorded his first save since 2017. In 2021, he continued to be a key member of the Athletics bullpen, appearing in 38 games and recording 39 strikeouts.
Throughout his career, Diekman has been known for his fastball, which can reach speeds of up to 98 miles per hour. He has also been an advocate for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2017. He has been open about his struggles with the disease and has used his platform to raise awareness and funds for IBD research.
In conclusion, Jake Diekman has had a successful career as a relief pitcher in MLB, playing for several teams over the years. He has been known for his fastball and has been a reliable member of the bullpen for each team he has played for. He has also been an advocate for people with IBD and has used his platform to raise awareness and funds for research.
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