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Tigers general manager Al Avila said Jan. 24 that Fulmer (elbow) should be at full strength for the start of spring training, the Associated Press reports. "He's thrown out to 180 feet with no restrictions and no setbacks, so right now he's on track to be 100 percent coming into spring training," Avila said.
Following his Rookie of the Year-winning campaign in 2016, Fulmer took a step back in his sophomore season, delivering a 10-12 record and 3.83 ERA across 164.2 innings before being shuttered in September after undergoing ulnar transposition surgery. Pitching through the injury undoubtedly factored into Fulmer's disappointing numbers to some degree, though the meager 7.5 K/9 rate he submitted as a rookie perhaps hinted that a downturn in his 3.06 ERA was inevitable. With Fulmer at full health entering the upcoming campaign, it should be easier to elucidate whether he's truly an ace-level arm or more of a mid-rotation-caliber pitcher at this stage of his career.
