Rangers righthander Derek Holland, who pitched so well in the World Series last fall, has had a bit of a rough time this year. He got hit hard by the Mariners last week, and Tuesday night struggled against the Athletics.

Now we have an idea as to why this is happening. Jeff Fletcher:

After Holland weaved his way through 5 1/3 innings in the Texas Rangers' 6-3 victory over the Oakland A's, the left-hander said that he's lost 10 to 15 pounds in the past 2½ weeks because of a stomach virus.

"I'm kinda puzzled by it," said Holland, who added that he's had no further tests to determine if he has anything more serious than a simple digestive issue. "I've just got to keep plugging away and get that weight back and I'll be all right. I'm not freaking out."

Holland said he's now on medication that has helped. He also has eliminated some foods, including dairy and eggs, from his diet.

Holland was never a big guy to begin with -- he's listed at 6-2, 195 -- so a 10- to 15-pound loss would definitely be alarming, and could affect his performance.

I'm refraining mightily from inserting a joke about Holland's mustache here, since this is serious business. Hope his health improves.