Fulmer was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain.
Fulmer suffered an apparent setback, as he returned from the same issue on Monday. This will almost certainly end his regular season, though it's possible he could return for the postseason if he can get healthy.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Notches save in return
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Fulmer earned a save against the Rockies on Monday, issuing one walk and striking out two batters over two-thirds of an inning.
Fulmer was activated from the injured list Monday and was immediately thrown into the fire, taking the mound with one out in the ninth inning and Chicago holding a one-run lead. He put the first two batters he faced on base via a walk and a hit-by-pitch but rebounded in impressive fashion by fanning Harold Castro and Brenton Doyle to escape the jam. The veteran reliever's save came on the same day Cubs closer Adbert Alzolay landed on the injured list with a forearm strain, though that doesn't necessarily suggest Fulmer will be the team's top ninth-inning option moving forward. Julian Merryweather has pitched very well this season and picked up a save Sunday, but he was likely unavailable Monday after pitching each of the previous three days.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Activated from injured list
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Fulmer (forearm) was activated from the injured list Monday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Fulmer did not encounter any issues after landing on the injured list in late August, and he will be back in Chicago's bullpen moving forward. Closer Adbert Alzolay (forearm) was placed on the injured list in the corresponding move, so roles are set to change at the back end of the bullpen. Fulmer could be in the mix for saves, but he's likely behind a fellow reliever or two.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Throws bullpen session
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Fulmer (forearm) threw a successful bullpen session Wednesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
It was his first time throwing off a mound since he landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 26 due to a mild right forearm strain. There is not an exact timetable for Fulmer's return to the Cubs' bullpen, but he would seem to be getting close. He may be allowed to skip a minor-league rehab assignment if his side work continues to go smoothly.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Playing catch Friday
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Fulmer (forearm) will play catch Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Fulmer is less than a week removed from landing on the injured list with a right forearm strain, but he's made a swift recovery and is ready to do some throwing. The reliever has a chance to return when first eligible Sept. 10.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Placed on 15-day IL
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The Cubs placed Fulmer on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right forearm strain, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Fulmer has surrendered six runs in 5.2 innings across his last seven appearances, and he'll now be sidelined for at least two weeks in order to address a forearm issue. Jordan Wicks was called up from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move and will start for the Cubs on Saturday.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: To serve as opener Saturday
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Fulmer will serve as the Cubs' opener Saturday versus the Cardinals, Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Fulmer threw 15 pitches in relief for the Cubs during Friday's 4-3 win over St. Louis, so he'll probably only cover the first inning of Saturday's tilt. The 30-year-old right-hander holds a 4.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 46:21 K:BB through 42.2 frames on the season.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Pitching better this month
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Fulmer, who pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in Friday's 10-1 win over the Guardians, has a 0.66 ERA across 13.2 innings this month.
Fulmer has only been scored upon once in 12 June appearances, and he has also registered 14 strikeouts across the 13.2 innings. The veteran entered the month with a 7.36 ERA for the season, but he's been able to lower that to 4.79. Fulmer seems to have regained his form as a reliable reliever, though he's not seeing save chances with the Cubs, so his fantasy value remains limited.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Takes loss in relief Saturday
Rotowire
Fulmer (0-4) allowed two runs while retiring only two batters to take the loss Saturday against the Reds. He gave up a hit and two walks while striking out two.
Fulmer was tagged for a two-run home run by Jonathan India in the fifth inning to ultimately get saddled with the loss in the 8-5 defeat, The veteran has struggled with his new team, as he now has a 7.84 ERA and has allowed two earned runs or more six times in 23 outings this year. Fulmer has lost his grip on a high-leverage role and has little fantasy appeal at the moment.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Struggles again Monday
Rotowire
Fulmer (0-3) allowed two runs on two hits while retiring two batters to take the loss Monday against the Astros. He walked one and struck out one.
Fulmer came on in the seventh inning and struggled, serving up a two-run home to Alex Bregman before getting the hook. The veteran has allowed five earned runs across 1.1 innings in his last two appearances, and he's stuck with an ugly 7.50 ERA overall. Fulmer was better last year with a 3.39 ERA while splitting time between Detroit and Minnesota, so he could still rebound in 2023. However, he's worked his way out of closer mix for the time being and has little value in most fantasy formats.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Pitching better lately
Rotowire
Fulmer worked around a hit to pitch a scoreless inning and record a hold in Friday's win over the Marlins.
Fulmer worked the eighth in the eventual 4-1 victory for his third hold of the season, and he's been pitching better lately. Since allowing six earned runs combined in consecutive outings on April 20 and 23, the veteran has now logged four straight scoreless appearances. Fulmer now has a 6.08 ERA and should continue to see high-leverage work for the Cubs if he looks like this version.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Gets hit hard Thursday
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Fulmer (0-2) allowed four runs on three hits and a walk while retiring only one batter to take the loss Thursday against the Dodgers.
Fulmer had a nightmare outing out of the bullpen, which pushed his ERA up to 7.56. He had an ERA of 3.38 coming into the night but will now need to string together some good performances to get back to a respectable level. Brad Boxberger has been more effective so far, and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Cubs look his way in the ninth instead of Fulmer, at least in the short term.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Earns first hold
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Fulmer pitched a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Dodgers.
After blowing a save chance in the ninth inning Saturday, Fulmer worked the eighth inning Sunday for his first hold of the season, while Brad Boxberger got the ninth. The two veterans were expected to split closing duties this year, though based on recent events, perhaps Boxberger has edged slightly ahead of Fulmer. The latter should still see plenty of high-leverage work, however, and is likely to maintain some fantasy appeal.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Blows another save
Rotowire
Fulmer (0-1) took the loss and blew the save against the Dodgers on Saturday, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out one batter over two-thirds of an inning.
The Cubs carried a tenuous 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning and turned to Fulmer to close things out. The right-hander couldn't get the job done, surrendering a two-out, two-run walkoff single to David Peralta after allowing a pair of one-out hits. Fulmer converted his first save chance of the season against Texas on April 7, but he's since blown his next two opportunities and has allowed three earned runs across 2.2 frames over his past three outings.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Blows save Monday
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Fulmer allowed a run on two hits across an inning of work to blow the save Monday against the Mariners. He struck out one.
Tasked with protecting a 2-1 lead in the ninth inning, Fulmer allowed a solo home run to Jarred Kelenic to blow his first save of the year, but the Cubs would rally for the 3-2 win in 10 innings. The run was the first one allowed this season by Fulmer, who now has a 2.08 ERA and eight strikeouts across 4.1 innings. He should continue to see regular save chances, though Brad Boxberger remains in the mix as well.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Notches first save
Rotowire
Fulmer gave up a hit and struck out four over two scoreless innings Friday to record his first save of the season in a 2-0 win over the Rangers.
Neither Brad Boxberger nor Adbert Alzolay had pitched since Tuesday, but Cubs manager David Ross still elected to use Fulmer for multiple innings to close out the shutout, and the right-hander ultimately threw 28 pitches (18 strikes) as he picked up the team's first save of the year. The usage suggests that Ross might view Fulmer as more of a fireman than a pure ninth-inning arm, but he remains the favorite to finish the season leading the team in saves.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Pitches ninth inning Thursday
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Fulmer pitched a scoreless inning with one hit allowed and two strikeouts in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Brewers.
Fulmer got the ninth inning while Brad Boxberger worked the eighth, but it was a non-save situation. Still, it's a promising sign for Fulmer that he was the last reliever used on Opening Day. He figures to split closer duties with Boxberger based on spring training reports, though Fulmer may be slightly ahead at this point.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Could be primary closer option
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Fulmer and Brad Boxberger are viewed as the primary options at closer for the Cubs, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.
It could ultimately wind up being more of a carousel, with Brandon Hughes, Rowan Wick and Adbert Alzolay also somewhere in the mix, but Fulmer has expressed a strong desire to claim the job and Boxberger boasts 82 career major-league saves. Fulmer, 29, signed a one-year, $4 million contract with Chicago in February after working to a 3.39 ERA with 61 strikeouts over 63.2 innings last season between the Tigers and Twins. He picked up three saves along the way.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Pitching well this spring
Rotowire
Fulmer has yet to allow a run across three Cactus League appearances. He's struck out three.
Fulmer has been steady so far in spring training action, and he should be able to carry that over into the regular season after posting strong numbers out of the bullpen in 2021 and 2022. The veteran righty should have a high-leverage role with the Cubs, possibly even closing out games, though Brandon Hughes and Brad Boxberger are also in the mix at the end of games. Fulmer's fantasy value would obviously increase if he's seeing regular save opportunities.
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Cubs' Michael Fulmer: Joining Cubs' bullpen
Rotowire
Fulmer agreed to a contract with the Cubs on Friday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The terms of the deal are not yet known. Fulmer's velocity and strikeouts were down a bit in 2022 but he remained mostly effective, posting a 3.39 ERA and 61:28 K:BB over 63.2 innings for the Tigers and Twins. The 29-year-old has some closing experience and could be in the mix to get some saves as part of a Cubs bullpen which lacks established high-leverage options.
