Detroit Tigers rumors about a Michael Fulmer injury have now been confirmed. Fulmer will miss at least his next Spring Training start for the Tigers, raising questions and concerns about his availability to begin the 2018 MLB season. A report by baseball writer Jason Beck states that Fulmer’s start, which was scheduled for Sunday (March 4) against the Washington Nationals, has been pushed back.
There had been earlier rumors stating that Fulmer was having problems with his arm, but this serves as a confirmation that something more serious may be going on. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire relayed that Fulmer is experiencing muscular soreness in his right elbow. The soreness is in a different part of the elbow than where he was operated on during offseason surgery.
As Tigers fans are well aware, Fulmer had surgery to move the ulnar nerve to a different part of his elbow. He had been dealing with numbness and tingling that presented problems pitching during the 2017 MLB season. While it’s certainly good news that the new pain is not located near the surgically repaired part of his arm, it’s no less alarming that Fulmer is dealing with a new arm issue while at Spring Training for the Tigers.
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Michael Fulmer is a huge part of the rotation, which is why these Detroit Tigers rumors are important. It’s additionally noteworthy because his name has come up in a number of MLB trade rumors as the team looks to build for the future. Trading Fulmer was already a difficult prospect following his offseason surgery, but with the All-Star pitcher and former Rookie of the Year experiencing a new pain, teams may see this as a red flag in trade negotiations.
Fulmer has made 51 starts for the Tigers during his first two seasons. He has a combined record of 21-19, with an ERA of 3.45 and a WHIP of just 1.137. Those are numbers that any team would like to have in their rotation. He also rarely gives up home runs, with the rate working out to fewer than one every nine innings he pitches. It was actually the best rate in the American League last year. The Detroit Tigers will give him as much rest as he needs to get healthy, as Michael Fulmer is a huge part of the future of this franchise.
