The Detroit Tigers pitching rotation has suffered a major setback, and there's no telling when things will get back to normal. Right-hander Michael Fulmer has been shut indefinitely by the Tigers, and as of now, there's no timetable for his return.
Tigers Shut Down Michael Fulmer https://t.co/1F64h9uIDR pic.twitter.com/bfLBfYNU9r
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) March 14, 2019
Fulmer “took a step back to refine his lower body mechanics,” manager Ron Gardenhire said Thursday.
“We have no timetable when he’s going to get back on the mound,” Gardenhire continued.
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Fulmer underwent a surgical procedure last fall repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, and has been pitching this spring while wearing a knee brace.
“The strength’s there. The pain’s gone. All we need to work on in is explosiveness,” Fulmer said last Saturday. “That’s something we haven’t really been focused on, because when you come back from surgery, you’re working on strengthening all those muscles. You’re not really working on those fast-twitch fibers quite yet, the explosiveness, because you don’t want to be cutting back and forth with a knee injury. That’s kind of our next phase.”
Fulmer was the 2016 AL Rookie of the year, but has not been able to return to that form. Last season, he put up a 3-12 record with a 4.69 ERA before his season ended in September due to knee issues.
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Tigers pitcher dealing with “dead arm” during Spring Training
Daylight Savings is this Sunday. That means longer days, warming weather, and eventually—baseball. Opening Day is 20 days away and the Detroit Tigers are continuing to trim their roster before heading north. One of the players hoping to make a splash in Motown this year, in an act of redemption, is pitcher Drew VerHagen. The once promising prospect has dealt with his fair share of ups and downs during his back and forth career.
Last year VerHagen posted the second-lowest ERA (4.50) of his career. But it was his second half of 2018 that made VerHagen someone to keep your eye on this spring.
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