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The Cubs have put Michael Fulmer on the 15-day injured checklist because of a proper forearm pressure, per a group announcement. The position is retroactive to Aug. 25. The transfer creates a roster spot for Jordan Wicks, who has been promoted to make his MLB debut in a begin in opposition to the Pirates Saturday night time.
Fulmer’s checkered harm historical past contains an ulnar nerve transposition surgical procedure in 2017 and a Tommy John process in 2019, so one other forearm-related situation is definitely a significant concern for the 30-year-old right-hander. The severity of his present pressure isn’t identified, however it might definitely look like Fulmer might miss greater than the minimal 15 days, maybe merely as a precaution given his previous accidents. As such, the chance exists that Fulmer’s 2023 season might be in jeopardy, given the dearth of time remaining on the MLB calendar.
Profitable AL Rookie Of The Yr honors with the Tigers in 2016, Fulmer’s injury-related absences finally noticed him transfer to full-time reduction pitching, which gave his profession a second act. After posting a 3.17 ERA over 113 1/3 innings with the Tigers and Twins from 2021-22, Fulmer signed a one-year, $4M free-agent deal to hitch the Cubs final winter.
The underside-line efficiency hasn’t fairly been there, as Fulmer has a 4.47 ERA over 56 1/3 frames for the Wrigleyville squad. Nonetheless, a 3.96 SIERA principally matches Fulmer’s 3.80 SIERA from 2021-22, so it might be that issues are simply balancing out after a bit of excellent fortune within the earlier two seasons. Fulmer has drastically improved his hard-hit ball price and whiff price (each sit within the ninetieth percentile of all pitchers), and his 27% strikeout price is the most effective of his profession. On the draw back, Fulmer has struggled together with his management for the second straight yr, together with his 11.6% stroll price rating within the backside tenth percentile of all pitchers.
A whole lot of Fulmer’s struggles got here earlier within the season, as he had a 1.83 ERA over 34 1/3 innings and 32 appearances previous to a tough outing final Monday, when he gave up three runs over only a third of an inning in opposition to Detroit. Since Fulmer additionally pitched a scoreless inning on Thursday, it’s in all probability protected to imagine that his forearm pressure didn’t emerge throughout that Monday recreation.
Fulmer’s absence creates one other gap in Chicago’s bullpen, however Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune writes that Brad Boxberger is about to make one other rehab outing with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday. Boxberger hasn’t pitched since mid-Might because of a forearm pressure of his personal, however the veteran reliever seems to be to be on his means again to motion. The information isn’t pretty much as good for Nick Burdi, who has additionally been out since Might coping with appendicitis, however the righty is now coping with ulnar nerve irritation. Extra will probably be identified about Burdi’s situation after he’s re-evaluated in a couple of days’ time.
These bullpen accidents might clarify why Drew Smyly will probably be headed again to the bullpen to offer some additional depth, whereas the Cubs flip to a youthful arm like Wicks to try to fill the rotation hole left by Marcus Stroman (whose season can also be in query due to a rib cartilage fracture). It makes for lots of pitching questions for a group in a pennant race, because the Cubs presently maintain the third NL wild-card spot and are nonetheless inside vary of the Brewers for first place within the NL Central.
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