Detroit Tigers' Michael Fulmer could view elbow injury as best thing to have happened to him

LAKELAND, Fla. — Eleven months after elbow surgery, Detroit Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer brought his glove up to the ball, kicked up his leg, unleashed an effortless, pain-free throw and the ball sizzled through the air.

This was not a timid throw. He was working hard Friday morning, breaking a sweat.

Tim Remes, the Tigers' bullpen catcher, snagged the ball and threw it back.

Fulmer was on a back field behind Joker Marchant Stadium, throwing 120 feet from flat ground — one of the last stages of his rehab. He hopes to be throwing off a mound in about a month.

“I’m trying to convince these guys to throw in front of (pitching coach) Rick Anderson and (bullpen coach Jeff) Pico, before everybody leaves,” he said.

After his teammates were done warming up, Fulmer stayed on the field by himself, throwing in front of a Tigers athletic trainer and physical therapist. They watched him intently, studying every move. Fulmer is right on schedule. If everything goes perfectly, he could be back pitching in Detroit in mid-summer.

“I feel strong,” he said. “I feel better than I thought I would at this point, playing catch from 120 feet.”

Fulmer had Tommy John surgery in March. And as odd as it sounds, it might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.

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A year ago, Fulmer’s body was beat-up. His knee was messed up and he was wearing a big bulky brace. His elbow was hurting because he couldn’t use his legs properly and his mechanics were messed up.

“Do you think the knee had anything to do with your elbow?” I asked.

“One hundred percent it did,” he said. “You can’t push off. I couldn’t use my legs as much as I usually do. Which puts more stress on the elbow.”

He pitched through some elbow pain and blew it out. He had surgery and went seven months without throwing a baseball. “Which is probably the longest time I went without picking up a baseball since I was about 4 years old,” he said. “It’s definitely good for the body.”

On a personal level, it gave him a chance to spend time with his child, Miles, who is now 10 months old and nearly walking on his own.

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Miles picks up every ball he can find. “I’m trying to keep putting it in his left hand,” Fulmer said, laughing. “He won’t take it.”

The injury gave Fulmer a chance to get his body right, to get his knee healthy and get into shape — he has lost about 20 pounds.

“Rehab is no joke,” he said. “You are strengthening every aspect of your body, especially your shoulder. You hear about guys coming back throwing harder after Tommy John and it’s because of all of the rehab they are putting into it. It’s not the new ligament, just all the hard work you did during the rehab.”

He looks fit and trim. “I feel a lot better,” he said. “I’m not going to be like (Daniel) Norris and say, 'I’m in the best shape of my life.'

"But look at him. He is.”

Fulmer's arm is not only rebuilt — it's fresh and loose. “It used to take me 15 throws to warm up before I could actually throw a baseball,” he said. “Now, it takes me like three.”

He did have some apprehension the first time he threw a baseball. But that is gone.

“When I first started playing catch, you are feeling tight and there is some scar tissue that needs to be broken up in there,” he said. “Luckily for me, the more I’ve played catch, the looser it’s gotten and you can feel it. Now, I’m to the point where I’m as loose as I’ve ever been and pain free.”

Fulmer finished his workout. He wiped sweat from his face and walked off the field. He smiled and nodded his head.

There are no guarantees, of course. Setbacks could happen at any time.

But right now, 11 months after surgery, he looks like a new guy, with a new body and a brand-new elbow.

Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel/.