Tigers place Michael Fulmer on DL with strained oblique

The Tigers have placed starting pitcher Michael Fulmer on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain, per a club announcement:

Though this is the second straight season that Fulmer has been discussed as a candidate to be dealt at the deadline, this development almost certainly ensures that he’ll remain in Detroit through the end of the season. We’ve seen pitchers on the DL be moved at the deadline in past years — Rich Hill getting dealt from the A’s to the Dodgers while he was dealing with a flare-up of his chronic blister was a notable recent example — but Fulmer’s injury combined with his struggles this year would seem to make the possibility of a trade almost nonexistent.

After all, oblique strains often keep pitchers out for extended periods, so Fulmer’s ability to impact a contender if dealt would be limited. And the Tigers are in no rush to trade him — after being one of the league’s highest-spending teams up until last year, they now have just three players earning eight-figure salaries (Miguel Cabrera, Jordan Zimmermann, and free-agent-to-be Victor Martinez) and only a few more players who are even earning more than a million. The 25-year-old Fulmer doesn’t even enter his arbitration years until next season, so the Tigers have plenty of time to trade him if they so desire.

With that said, the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year and 2017 All-Star has seen his value take a dip this season. Over 19 starts, he’s posted a mediocre 4.50 ERA with a .258 opponent batting average, 93 strikeouts, and 38 walks in 112 innings. He still has his velocity and will likely return to being effective at some point, but it’s understandable why teams don’t want to give up the farm for him right now, especially considering the recent bad luck that teams have had when trading for guys like Matt Moore, Shelby Miller, and Sonny Gray who have been in similar situations.

Right-handed reliever Victor Alcantara was recalled to take Fulmer’s spot on Detroit’s 25-man roster.