The Cubs have designated right-hander Michael Fulmer for assignment, per a team announcement. That move will clear space on the active roster for the reinstatement of lefty Shota Imanaga, who’ll return from the injured list to start today’s game.
Fulmer only joined the big league club last week. He’d been pitching well with Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate in Iowa, working to a 2.96 ERA with a 32% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate in 24 1/3 innings. His two appearances with the Cubs were strong. He totaled three innings and held opponents scoreless on just two hits and no walks with one strikeout.
This is the second DFA of the season for Fulmer, the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year winner with the Tigers. He opened the season as a member of the Red Sox, having signed a two-year minor league deal in the 2023-24 offseason as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery. He made just one big league appearance with the Sox, allowing three runs in 2 2/3 innings, before being designated there as well.
Now 32 years old, Fulmer broke into the majors with 26 starts and 159 innings of 3.06 ERA ball for the ’16 Tigers, claiming Rookie of the Year honors in the process. He was a key member of Detroit’s rotation for the next couple seasons before injuries intervened. In addition to Tommy John surgery, Fulmer has also undergone an ulnar nerve transposition procedure in his right arm as well as surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his knee. Detroit moved him to the ’pen early in 2021, and he went on to pitch quite well as a closer and setup man between the Tigers, Twins and Cubs over the next two-plus seasons.
While he’s not the high-end starting pitcher he was early in his career or even the hard-throwing, high-leverage reliever he was from 2021-23, Fulmer has generally looked solid in his first full season back from that UCL replacement. He’s pitched 36 innings of 3.00 ERA ball in Triple-A, averaging 92.7 mph on his heater there — he sat 94.3 mph in his two major league outings with Chicago — and pitched well in his latest MLB look.
The Cubs will have up to five days to explore trades before Fulmer must be placed on waivers to ensure that his DFA is resolved within the one-week maximum. (Waivers take 48 hours to process.) He can be waived at any time prior, of course. If Fulmer passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll have the right to reject an outright assignment to a minor league affiliate with the Cubs and instead explore opportunities with the league’s 29 other teams.
He’s probably done at 32, but he lasted longer than most guys.
He’s not done. The Cubs only released him because of a roster crunch. They only have 3 pitchers with options who are all pitching well. They had to make a move to activate Imanaga. Article also has him back pitching for the Tigers (I know its a mistake), saying they have 5 days to trade him.
What Blue Baron was trying to say is that Fullmur will probably continue to kick around multiple teams hoping to catch on but as far as regaining his earlier potentila….”he’s done”…nobody given his recent injury part with a fastball at sub 93 is going to give him anything more than a short term look….
Well the Cubs didn’t want to release him. I suppose there is a slim chance he makes it through waivers and the Cubs sign him back to Iowa. As many teams that need arms though I’m quite sure someone will sign him. Why not? He ‘s been pitching well for the Cubs, Hottovy seems to know how to fix him. The only reason he left in the first place was because he had another TJ surgery.
5…4…3…2…1
Dodgers claim Fulmer
He has shown enough. I can see the Mets or many other clubs giving him a shot.
@Dewey – Maybe Gage for the Mets as they need LH help.
Mets keep cycling through pitchers like the Dodgers. 34 to 30 lead for Dodgers).
“The Tigers will have up to five days to explore trades before Fulmer must be placed on waivers”
lol.. I caught that too
I’d bet the Tigers pitching staff could help him in his recovery but I don’t know if he’d want that or if the Tigers would want to use a 40 man slot for him. He’s unlikely to get that far without getting claimed by someone anyway.
Jed Hoyer waiting for Scott Harris to tell him what to do
Hey Steve, fix this.mistake please. Youre better than that!
* you’re
I think he’ll go to the dodgers or he’ll go back to the al central, this time as a white sox
Cubs would love to hang on to him and stash him in AAA as bullpen depth, if he goes unclaimed and is willing to accept an assignment. I feel like he’ll latch on somewhere, though.
I’d give him another shot in Detroit in the pen or as a closer.
I don’t think he’d be better than Vest or Kahnle, but I do think Fulmer could be a big help to the Tigers pen – go for it, Harris!
If you’re the Phillies, do you take a chance on Fulmer as a bullpen arm?
@ ctbronx – I don’t think that I would have a problem designating Alan Rangel off of the active and 40 man roster to give Fulmer a good look, but I also have not seen Fulmer throw this year. Clearly the Phils are looking for depth arms that might have some upside but current scouting information would be helpful..
I think you’ll get near unanimous agreement on your assessment of Rangel from Braves fans Carver.
I think the Cubs will be able to work out a trade here… there are a ton of bullpen-needy teams right now. The return won’t be much but they’ll probably get a low-level prospect rather than just cash considerations.
Where’s the kimbrel uproar? Almost exactly the same thing, yet the cubs didnt shaft fulmer?
Numbers crunch. I’m not sure who I’d have cut instead, maybe Flexen? Brasier? But it’s a bummer, because he seemed sharp in two appearances and he gives hitters a different look. He will very likely be claimed by some team.
I was racking my brain trying to figure it out. The only 2 with options were Hodge and Palencia and they just activated Hodge so that would have been curious at best. Somebody had to go. Pressly makes too much to just cut and while he still makes me nervous every time he pitches, He’s doing well enough to keep him so……….Last guy up is out I guess. When somebody gets hurt it will happen again so it won’t be the last time.
AA should be on the phone
Yep. I thought it, you said it.
Hopefully he knew ahead of time that his signing was short term. Get him a few innings and showcase him. He’ll probably be traded for cash considerations once he clears waivers.
Mets pick him (Fulmer) up, could use him in the BP
Mets need to bring him home,if right he was a Mets prospect to the Tigers. We need pitching bad
I get a kick out of the people who, whenever any player of any stature becomes available for any reason, immediately post “The Dodgers are going to sign him!” I wonder what life is like for people like that.