Inside The Cubs

Cubs Designated Michael Fulmer for Assignment Ahead of Shota Imanaga's Return

In the roster move to activate Shota Imanaga, the Chicago Cubs decided to DFA one of their veteran arms.
Brad Wakai|
Aug 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) looks on against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre
Aug 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Michael Fulmer (32) looks on against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

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Chicago Cubs

It was long expected that Shota Imanaga was going to make his Chicago Cubs return on Wednesday.

Out since May 5 due to a hamstring strain, the return of the star left-hander is a major boost to this pitching staff that has started to run into some issues as of late.

With Imanaga back in the mix, the Cubs will now get a better idea of how their rotation is going to look moving forward, giving president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer a clearer picture of what type of starter he needs to pursue ahead of the trade deadline.

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However, to make the Imanaga return official, Chicago needed to make a corresponding roster move.

And according to an announcement made by the team, it was Michael Fulmer who was designated for assignment, ending his tenure for now after he made two appearances and didn't allow a run on two hits in three total innings pitched.

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Fulmer was signed to a minor league deal back on April 22, and after looking solid with a 2.96 ERA in 13 outings and two starts with Triple-A Iowa, the Cubs selected his contract and added him to their big leauge roster.

The decision to DFA him is an interesting one.

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With a need for bullpen help, keeping the veteran around after he performed the way he did during his first two outings seemed like something Chicago would want to do.

However, it seems like they are now willing to take their chances to keep him around, hoping he clears waivers and accepts an outright assignment back to the minors instead of electing to become a free agent.

For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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