Detroit — Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take a short-term hit for long-term growth.
That’s essentially what Michael Fulmer did. He made 10 straight scoreless appearances to start the season, but he knew things weren’t right. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sustain that success unless he made some significant changes — especially with his slider.
So he bit the bullet. He went back to the lab with pitching coach Chris Fetter and he worked to get his slider to spin and move like it did last season. It took two weeks and while it was under reconstruction, he got beat up a bit — six runs in five innings, blew two saves, temporarily lost his eighth-inning setup role.
Was it worth it? Ask Blue Jays boppers Vlad Guerrero, Jr. and Teoscar Hernandez, who Fulmer punched out in the eighth inning Saturday with nasty sliders up in the strike zone. Ask Yankees Aaron Judge, who he struck out on three pitches with the bases loaded last Saturday in the Bronx.
“You know what,” Fulmer said Sunday. “Those two weeks where I was trying new things, trying to figure out how to get back to where I needed to be. Once I stopped trying to figure everything out, the results started to get better. It’s one of those things where, did I have to change a lot, probably not.
“But I knew my stuff wasn’t quite there. It was still lacking, in particular the slider…I am happy with where I’ve been and I’m happy where I am at now. The results were there early. I just knew some pitches weren’t moving the way they should.”
Fetter was able to show Fulmer how differently his slider was spinning and moving this year compared to last. Fulmer said it took three or four bullpen sessions to get that spin and shape back.
“Just more depth, more run, more horizontal break, throwing it up and throwing it down — trying to find it,” Fulmer said. “It’s finally back to that point and it’s kind of fixed everything else.”
Fulmer actually has two different sliders, both of them thrown firmly between 90-92 mph. He can throw it down in the zone with more sweeping action and he can throw a tighter one up in the zone, one that acts almost like a cutter. It’s the latter that’s been most effective for him lately.
“That actually stemmed from earlier in the year and I wasn’t doing it on purpose,” he said. “It was more of an accident, but I noticed it was playing pretty well up there. Instead of throwing the slider down for a chase, we’ve been able to throw it up, laterally with strike-to-ball action.”
Fulmer said that’s played well off his back-door two-seam fastball and his four-seam.
“It’s all about trying to make everything look like a fastball,” he said. “We can go 2-0 slider middle-up and make sure it’s in the strike zone. It’s not necessarily a mistake pitch. We’re just trying to make it look like a fastball. They think they’re swinging at a fastball in a hitter’s count and they get it off the end of the bat and pop it up or beat it into the ground.”
In his last seven outings, Fulmer has allowed one hit and one unearned run with 13 strikeouts and two walks. Opponents are hitting .044 off him in that stretch.
“The results, giving up a run here or there, that doesn’t bother me,” Fulmer said. “It’s the walks that bother me. If I’m not walking guys, I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Soon as I’m searching for my stuff, that’s when I walk guys and the results get bad.
“I’m past that point now. No turning back.”
Around the horn
Manager AJ Hinch announced before the game that starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez would be away from the team for a couple of days with a personal issue. Rodriguez is still on the injured list with a ribcage injury, but after a strong rehab outing Thursday, there was hope he would rejoin the rotation this week. Hinch said he wasn’t sure if Rodriguez would have to make another rehab start.
… Reliever Jose Cisnero, out with a shoulder injury all season, will be shut down for another two weeks — this time with a swollen Achilles tendon. Hinch said he felt soreness in the Achilles before his last live bullpen session in Lakeland and tried to pitch through it. He reported the injury to the club Saturday, just as he was about to start a rehab assignment.
… Lefty Tyler Alexander (elbow) likely has completed his rehab assignment, though Hinch said they haven’t decided yet whether to activate him. There is a chance he could be back and make a spot start Tuesday, a day Hinch has designated as a bullpen game.
… Third baseman Jeimer Candelario (shoulder) ran on the field and took ground balls before the game Sunday. Hinch said he wouldn’t play during this homestand and would need a few rehab games in Toledo.
On deck: White Sox
► Series: Three games at Comerica Park, Detroit
► First pitch: Monday-Tuesday — 7:10 p.m.; Wednesday — 1:10 p.m.
► TV/radio: All three games on BSD/97.1 FM
► Probables: Monday — RHP Johnny Cueto (0-3, 3.23) vs. RHP Rony Garcia (0-1, 4.50); Tuesday — TBA vs. bullpen game; Wednesday — RHP Dylan Cease (4-3, 3.14) vs. RHP Alex Faedo (1-2, 2.92).
Scouting report
► Cueto, White Sox: At age 36 and in season 15, he’s still shimmying and shaking, stopping and popping with a six-pitch mix. His fastballs are sitting just under 92 mph, but he’s still getting a 31% chase rate with his breaking balls and off-speed. This will be his sixth start with the White Sox, after starting with 12 scoreless innings, he’s come down to earth, allowing 11 earned runs in 18.2 innings in his last three starts.
► Garcia, Tigers: He bounced back nicely after a rough start against the Twins and limited the hard-hitting Yankees to two runs over five innings in his last start. His high-spin four-seam fastball (.208 opponent average) and breaking ball (.167) have been consistent weapons for him. He’s getting a 39% swing-and-miss rate with his breaking ball.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @cmccosky