Angels Place Victor Mederos, Carson Fulmer On 15-Day IL

The Angels announced that right-handers Victor Mederos and Carson Fulmer have been placed on the 15-day injured list.  Fulmer is dealing with inflammation in his throwing elbow, while Mederos has right shoulder inflammation.  Righty Chase Silseth was called up from Triple-A to take one roster spot, and right-hander Jose Soriano was activated from the team’s restricted list in the other corresponding move.  (Soriano was already on the paternity list and was moved to the restricted list for an additional day off.)

Both Mederos and Fulmer were roughed up during yesterday’s 12-1 loss to the Cubs, as each pitcher was charged with six earned runs.  Mederos started the game and allowed four hits and two walks in his four-inning outing, plus his fastball lost four miles of velocity from his first inning to his last.

Beyond the damage on the scoresheet, Mederos said he felt some shoulder fatigue after the game, and the result is today’s IL placement.  Mederos told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he’ll be underdoing an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.

Now in his third MLB season, Mederos has yet to find much consistency, as he has an 8.53 ERA in 25 1/3 innings and 12 appearances (all with the Angels).  His last three outings have been his first three big league starts, as the Halos gave him a look as a starter after posting some solid numbers with Triple-A Salt Lake.  Somewhat curiously, Mederos has struggled in the majors and at the lower minor league levels but he has a 3.43 ERA in 97 career innings in Salt Lake, even pitching within the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

The MRI results will determine Mederos’ immediate fate, yet even if the scans come back clean, the timing of the IL placement could mean that Mederos’ 2025 season is over.  Any lingering shoulder soreness might lead the Angels to simply shut Mederos down, and the same is true of Fulmer and his elbow issue.

Fulmer had a 3.06 ERA in his first 17 2/3 innings for Los Angeles this season, but things have gone south in the form of a 10.03 ERA over Fulmer’s last 11 2/3 frames.  That tough stretch includes a nightmarish performance yesterday, as Fulmer gave up six runs on seven hits and a walk in just 1 1/3 IP against the Cubs.  Fulmer said his elbow started bothering him during the appearance, and he’ll undergo testing today.

Beginning the season on a minor league deal with the Pirates, Fulmer was cut loose in June and rejoined the Angels on a minors contract, with a selection to the active roster coming in July.  All of Fulmer’s MLB time in the last three seasons has come in a Halos uniform, with a 4.43 ERA to show for his 126 career innings in Anaheim.