Fulmer acknowledged that he was getting impatient prior to the outing, but manager A.J. Hinch gave Fulmer “a good swift kick in the [rear].” Fulmer was put in the bullpen, something he hasn’t done since high school. The skipper wanted him to take the thinking part out of his game, get loose and throw the baseball as hard as he could with conviction.
It worked for Fulmer against Philadelphia. He allowed one hit and threw 39 pitches. Five of his pitches — sinkers, changeups, sliders, fastballs and curveballs — drew at least one swing and miss, totaling nine overall, according to Statcast. The sequences of pitches during the game also satisfied Fulmer. He is learning how to use his secondary offerings more and learning opponents’ swings. It looked like he was the Fulmer of old, the hurler who won the American League Rookie of the Year in 2016. It was fun to watch.
“Hopefully, it’s not bullpen over a starting thing, but I really think we worked on some stuff this week that looked better. It showed the payoff yesterday,” Fulmer said. “It’s not really one thing. We were trying to get back to the explosiveness part of the delivery without being jumpy.”
Fulmer made it known he would like to continue to be a starter, but he is willing to do anything the team asks.
“Would I rather be a starter? Absolutely,” Fulmer said. “I think I could get back to where I need to be with that. If the best spot for me is in the bullpen, [however], I’m more than happy to go there as well.”
Fulmer hasn’t pitched a full season since 2018. He wants the results to come right away. This is where he needs to be patient. He credits his wife, Kelsey, and two children for sticking by him during the tough times.
“My son has been keeping me busy. He was born about a month after I had Tommy John surgery back in 2019. He keeps my mind off baseball and rehab. He has been a blessing,” Fulmer said. “My daughter was born a few weeks ago. She has been awesome, too. My wife and two kids are the ones to thank for that as far as keeping my mind from going super crazy.”