Top Tigers starter Michael Fulmer will undergo ulnar nerve transposition surgery in his right elbow tomorrow, manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (Twitter link via Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press). Katie Stang of the Athletic reported earlier today that the procedure was a possibility for Fulmer (Twitter link). MLB.com’s Jason Beck tweets that the procedure comes with a three- to four-month recovery period, which should put Fulmer on track to be back up to strength prior to Spring Training 2018.
Fulmer, 24, won American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2016 on the heels of a tremendous 3.03 ERA with 7.5 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 49.1 percent ground-ball rate in 159 innings out of the Tigers’ rotation. The former Mets farmhand — Fulmer was acquired in the 2015 Yoenis Cespedes swap with New York — largely replicated that success to open the 2017 campaign. However, over his final seven starts of the season, Fulmer allowed five or more runs on five occasions, causing his earned run average to balloon from to 3.06 to its now season-ending mark of 3.83. The injury certainly explains that rough stretch, as Fulmer himself has recently cited numbness and tingling in his fingers when describing the reasons for a DL placement.
While an arm-related surgical procedure for a top young starter always carries a certain level of concern, there’s no indication at present that there’s a significant level of worry moving forward. Fulmer has time to get ready for Spring Training, and the Tigers certainly aren’t playing for much in 2017 after trading away the majority of their veteran core over the past year. For comparison, Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom also had surgery to re-position the ulnar nerve in his right arm last September and has returned to toss 188 1/3 innings thus far in 2018 (though certainly every injury situation has its own intricacies).
Fulmer had been a speculative trade piece for the rebuilding Tigers, though the chances of that have long seemed somewhat slim. News of an arm operation seems to further dampen that possibility, as Detroit is unlikely to sell a player that it controls for another five seasons when his value is at a relatively diminished level. Fulmer won’t be eligible for arbitration this winter, though he’ll very likely qualify as a Super Two player following the 2018 campaign.
No Acuna for Tigers Fans lol
Lol? He is getting elbow surgery
No stud young SP for Braves fans lol
That wasnt going to happen to begin with but at the same time max freid , ian anderson and a toss in wouldn’t have got it done either.
Not a fan of either team. I’d rather have fulmer, offseason injury or not lol
Its a good thing that the Tigers had nothing to play for!
Hopefully he gets back to 100% and in an indirect way, this allows them to get the #3 pick instead of the #5 pick.
As long as you stay away from last place. That belongs to the White Sox. Now, the White Sox should be pushing 500 next year so you can have last place next year lol.
White sox pushing 500 lol
Tigers should’ve traded Fulmer at the deadline when they had the chance. They dropped the ball on this one. Could’ve received a nice haul for him
Wouldn’t have happened, this issue has been well documented in his file. The Tigers were aware of this exact issue before he every put on a jersey for us. Other teams would have been leary as well. Benefit for the Tigers is that it is a quick recovery and is under team control for a bit.
According to numerous sources many teams were interested in trading for Fulmer. So they couldn’t of been that leary. Like I said, they could’ve reaped a nice return. They blew it. By the time the Tigers are competitive again he’ll be nearing free agency
If the surgery helps him look like his 2016 version then he will have loads of value at the next trade deadline. If it doesn’t then yeah his value is sunk.
Interested in trading for, and getting it done, are two different things. I’ve shown interest in Kate Upton – doesn’t mean I’m taking her home tonight.
Yeah because you have something to trade for Kate Upton. Pretty stupid analogy muh friend
How do you know what I have, muh friend?
We know teams were interested in Fulmer, but we don’t know if the packages being offered were of value. That’s the point – interest does not equal fair return. Do I seriously have to explain that to you?
Stay in your lane kid.
You came barreling in with a dumb comparison, so you deserve to be ridiculed. Nonetheless, thanks for contributing something “substantial” lol
I never said I knew the packages being offered for Fulmer. I accurately stated there were teams interested in trading for him prior to the trade deadline. Learn to read
If the Tigers do decide to trade Fulmer, they will get plenty of interest, and plenty of value offered. I simply don’t believe they were ready to trade him anyway. All teams need an Ace to compete. Miggy returning to form could make quite a difference as to how fast they become competitive again.
I hope for your sake he does return to form…even the MVP Cabrera is almost impossible to move without eating a ton of money, somebody will probably want him though
It’s highly unlikely Miggy returns to form given his age, and even if he resembles 3/4 th of his former MVP self (pipe dream), he isn’t gonna single handedly make Detroit a contender. Detroit should look to move him next year. Maybe they can get a couple halfway decent prospects if they eat a large chunk of his remaining contract
Call the Tigers Ralphie because they will have a front office vacancy very soon and will also need a new manager.
Trading Fulmer will guarantee they won’t be competitive very “fast”. The return a team gets in any trade obviously isn’t guaranteed, and it makes no sense to trade virtually everyone simply because -as some here claim- they can get “a haul”. Baseball doesn’t lend itself well to predictable outcomes and frankly, the Tigers (with Fulmer) are potentially a very competitive team, especially compared to the teams of the mid-70’s and early 90’s.
Wow Ralphie, you are amazing.
The future looks bleak in Detroit
Not really. The 1993 team was “bleak”-no comparison to now.
This happened because he was drafted by the Mets.
The NY Mets are in complete and utter disarray
Some unfortunate injuries to basically every key player on the team except deGrom
Mets will still have 2 elite pitchers next season in Syndergaard and deGrom with Harvey in a contract season and Matz and Wheeler coming back from injuries
Not that they’ll spend but Mets have millions in salary off their books next season a young nucleus of Conforto Rosario and Smith .
Farm is still pretty good. Far from being in disarray
Some good fortune and health and the Mets are back in the playoff picture next year
Wishful thinking. Assuming Mets pitching stays healthy is quite the reach
Glad the Cubs didn’t trade for him when the rumors were rampant.
A former Mets Pitching farmhand needs surgery? Wow didn’t see that coming.
That sounds expensive
Tigers were never getting Acuna at any time. A package around Maitan and Wright sounded reasonable for both sides. Now, the Braves might just stay the course or go after Luis Castillo who looks like a future ace with much higher upside. Tigers still got plenty of time to get him back on track and get a haul from another team however.
Braves don’t have the headliner to get Castillo since Acuna and Swanson are off limits.
I think the Reds would be looking for pitching prospects. Wright/Gohara/Anderson would be a good trio. Braves would still have Allard/Soroka/Wentz/Touisannt/Fried to combine with Castillo/Folty/Newcomb. Can envision that for both teams.
The Braves aren’t coughing Acuna up to any club…period. He’s gonna be a superstar
He was having some tingling before the deadline. It would have inhibited trading him.
What’s with you guys posting lol? It’s a young man’s livelihood. Don’t get that at all.
I agree that Fulmer should have been traded at the deadline and this isn’t hindsight coming from me. However to suggest that they “blew it” as if there is no chance Detroit can get a premium return before next years trade deadline or even in the offseason after next year is just silly.
Fulmer is coming off 2 spectacular years (I call him the most boring great pitcher in baseball). There is definite risk as he has never thrown 200 IP and has a injury risk tag since minors. This also ignores context, it’s really hard to say Detroit definitely should have traded him without knowing the offers available,
Like to get a guy of Fulmer’s caliber with his years of control, should at the very least cost 3 very good prospects, at least 1 of which are a premium guy if not 2.
I’d say a deal that would have made sense for both sides would have been Allard/Anderson/Wentz/Pache. And I’m sure Atlanta fans will say how ridiculous this offer would be. But all 4 of them have risk and you’d get a FOR arm without trading Acuna/Albies/Swanson/Gohara/Maitan/Soroka/Wilson (who is about 12 spots too low on mlb pipelines Atlanta top 30). Top Prospect have value for sure but reality is there bust % is significantly higher than any teams fanbase wants to admit
It’s not silly. To suggest it is makes you look challenged. Even if Fulmer recovers before next year’s trade deadline there’s still gonna be lingering questions about his health. This is not some minor injury. The Tigers indeed wet the bed. They’ll never get the package from here on out that they could’ve received before this season’s deadline. There’s also no guarantee he’ll duplicate his stellar performance from 2016-2017
He’s 5 years from FA, and a hell of a pitcher. If he rebounds, is keeping him and having him lead the team of young talent they got for Verlander, Upton and JD so bad? And they could always extend him. Sometimes the best trade is the one you don’t make
It’s refreshing to read something that actually logical.
If there are “lingering questions” about his health, it will be born of ignorance, as relocating the ulnar nerve has nothing to do with arm strength or ligament damage. The ulnar nerve is somewhat exposed near the elbow (the “funny bone”) and is pressured in some people who are physically active, whether you’re a pitcher or a hod carrier. Relocating it away from the pressure point is a routine procedure and no cause for concern.
The “bust %” is why it’s senseless to trade a young, talented SP. Detroit isn’t THAT desperate. This is not 1993.