Carson Fulmer has played in five organizations since the start of 2020 season, cycling through the waiver wire as he tried to prove himself with new teams.
Teams see Fulmer’s potential. There are reasons why he was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, but he’s had a lot of inconsistency throughout his big-league career.
There is, however, something that feels different since he joined the Reds midway through spring training. It helps that he feels comfortable with pitching coach Derek Johnson, the coach who recruited him to Vanderbilt, but he’s at a more mature place in his own career.
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“The last couple of years have been really hard for me, just to be completely honest,” Fulmer said Friday. “Changing from team to team, being with a pitching coach for a few weeks and getting switched over to a new group, you know, it's been tough. I've tried to stay positive. I'm a very, very positive person to begin with. I think that got me into trouble as well, because I just tried to put a band-aid over some of the failures I've had in my career.”
Fulmer has been successful in the Reds bullpen for the first month of the season. He’s yielded nine hits and five runs in 14 innings (3.21 ERA). Among his 12 relief appearances, he hasn’t allowed a run in nine of them.
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With a few relievers unavailable, he earned a high-leverage opportunity against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning against the middle of the Dodgers lineup. Manager David Bell pointed to his at-bat against Max Muncy, falling into a 3-0 count before coming back to strike him out.
“I always knew I had the stuff, that's why I was in the big leagues,” Fulmer said. “Now I'm starting to see my results. I'm starting to get good hitters out. I'm throwing pitches, I'm getting guys to swing and miss. I'm seeing their reaction. That's something you build off of.”
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Fulmer credits the Reds with being honest about his role when he was entering the season. He’s out of minor-league options, so he’s subject to waivers when he’s not on the 26-man roster.
“They were very honest with me, ‘you have to come in here and prove yourself. There are some injuries out there. It's going to be a tough spot for you to blend in, but we're going to give you this opportunity with the people you've known for such a long time and it's yours to lose.’” Fulmer said. “I really, really respect this organization for telling me that.
“As a player, there's kind of an unknown, you know? It's just something that is very hard, you keep your head down and do what you do, but there was a plan here. I think that really helped me transition to having the success that I'm having now.”
SUÁREZ’S SLUMP: Eugenio Suárez was moved to the sixth spot in the batting order for the first time this season Friday as he entered the series hitless in his last 25 at-bats.
“To me, it’s not that big of a deal,” Bell said. “I can see why it looks like we moved him down. Obviously, he’s been struggling a little bit. But we know he’s going to get back on track. If anything, hitting sixth in our order is still a really important spot.”
Suárez is hitting .125 this season with a league-high 38 strikeouts. He came off the bench for a game in L.A. earlier this week, but Bell didn’t hint at any plans of sitting Suárez for a longer stretch of time.
“You’re always thinking about each one of your players and what’s best for them,” Bell said. “Most times, whether guys are going really good, or struggling a little bit, it’s usually to play. That’s how they produce. If they are struggling, that’s how they get out of it. I do think a day off here and there can be beneficial.
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“I think it’s important to remember where we are and how long of a season we have left in front of us. … It’s so early. Right now, he’s working at it and we’re allowing him to play through it.”
HELLO, OLD FRIEND: The Reds announced they signed right-handed pitcher Tim Adleman to a minor-league contract on Friday and he will report to the team’s alternate site in Louisville. He will likely pitch for the Triple-A team once the minor league season begins next week.
Adleman, 33, made 43 appearances and 33 starts with the Reds from 2016-17, posting a 4.97 ERA in 192 innings. He led the 2017 Reds team in innings pitched (122) and strikeouts (108).
After the 2017 season, it’s been quite the journey for Adleman. He played in Korea in 2018, making 31 starts for the Samsung Lions. He made three starts in an independent league in 2019 then was in the Detroit Tigers’ organization. He posed a 3.32 ERA in 17 starts at Triple-A in 2019.
He didn’t play in 2020 because the minor-league season was canceled, and he pitched one inning in the Dominican Winter League this past offseason.
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