Dodgers Add Former First Round Pick Into Their Bullpen Mix
The Dodgers made a lot of moves this offseason that sort of flew under the radar. Most of those moves were arms that they added in, mostly due to the ridiculous number of injuries to pitchers during the 2021 season. That left them in a really tough spot for most of the year.
But when they signed Carson Fulmer to a minor league deal, that was something the deep baseball fans were keeping an eye on. Fulmer was a former first-round pick of the Chicago White Sox out of Vanderbilt in 2015. Many argue that Chicago rushed him through the system far too quickly, making his MLB debut in July of 2016 at the age of 22.
But he never found his footing in Chicago. He got the DFA from the White Sox in 2020 and was eventually claimed by the Tigers. He would go on to join the Pirates, Orioles, and Reds before being signed by the Dodgers.
But this week, Fulmer is getting another chance. The Dodgers selected his contract from Triple-A and he will join up with the bullpen. He made 8 appearances for OKC, striking out 12 across 11.2 innings of work and pitching to a 2.31 ERA. He also held opposing bats to a low .128 batting average.
The potential is certainly there for Fulmer, who sits around 93 mph on his fastball and mixes in 3 other pitches. His change-up and curveball have been very good at times in the past though, inducing whiffs 35 percent of the time at some points. The Dodgers will almost certainly change how he approaches hitters though, with his fastball getting lit up in years past.
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That’s what they did with Andrew Heaney, and it appeared to be working out. If the Dodgers can improve Fulmer even slightly, having him as bullpen depth will be incredibly beneficial.
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