The Boston Red Sox had DFA'd RHP Michael Fulmer on April 19th, and now the former Tiger is back on the Cubs' MLB roster for his second stint. Fulmer started his career with a bang, winning Rookie of the Year in 2016 as a starter for Detroit.
He posted an 11-7 record with a 3.06 ERA with 132 strikeouts on the season. Since then, however, he has yet to reach that echelon, eventually transitioning into a reliever and a closer for the Tigers. He was then traded to Minnesota and was in the bullpen due to Jhoan Duran as their star closer. He played in 26 games for the Twins in 2022 before signing with the Cubs in 2023.
Since then, it's been a slow and steady decline, whether it was injury or just ability. He unfortunately went under the knife for Tommy John Surgery in 2023 and missed the entire 2024 season. However, he came back and was called up at the beginning of the season after Richard Fitts was put on the 15-day injured list.
Michael Fulmer has been selected from Triple-A Iowa.
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 23, 2025
Nate Pearson has been optioned. pic.twitter.com/J9FolS0TgO
Former Red Sox Pitcher Michael Fulmer Reunites With Cubs After Release
However, he got DFA'd shortly after by the Red Sox after just one appearance, posting an ERA over 10 in that one game sample size. He had elected free agency on April 20 and had been awaiting the call from a team since.
Fortunately, the Cubs came calling for a reunion. On the 23rd, they offered him a minor league contract. Doing very well, posting a 2.73 ERA in AAA Iowa, he's seemingly found his own there. This earned him a call-up on the Cubs' roster, after optioning RHP Nate Pearson to AAA in his spot. Hopefully, this can become a revival for the former ROTY, but time will tell with that one.