Chicago Cubs fans will see their ace back on the mound for the first time in nearly two months on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
31-year-old southpaw Shota Imanaga‘s return to the bump comes at the expense of former AL Rookie of the Year and one-time All-Star hurler Michael Fulmer, however.
The Cubs announced on Thursday morning that Imanaga had been reinstated from the 15-day injured list, while Fulmer was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
The former is slated to start Chicago’s Thursday afternoon road contest against St. Louis. Imanaga is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 34 strikeouts across eight starts covering 44 2/3 innings in 2025.
He landed on the IL in early May with a strained left hamstring.
Michael Fulmer’s Return to MLB in 2025 Hasn’t Gone as Planned
It was a long road back to an MLB diamond for Fulmer in 2025.
The 32-year-old righthander was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft but was traded to the Detroit Tigers in July 2015 in a deal that landed former All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes in the Big Apple.
Fulmer made his big-league debut with Detroit in April 2016 and finished the season with a career-best 11-7 record across 159 innings pitched (26 starts), as well as what are still career-best marks in strikeouts (132) and WHIP (1.11) on his way to earning AL Rookie of the Year honors. Fulmer made his lone All-Star team in 2017 and posted a 3.83 ERA and 1.15 WHIP, despite a 10-12 record over 164 2/3 innings covering 25 starts.
He struggled in 2018 before missing the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Following the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Fulmer was converted to a reliever and has stayed in that role since, posting a career-low 2.97 ERA in 69 2/3 innings pitched (52 games) in 2021.
He then split the 2022 campaign between the Tigers and Minnesota Twins, before pitching out of the Cubs bullpen in 2023. Fulmer underwent UCL revision surgery following that season, signed a two-year minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox in February 2024 and missed that entire campaign.
The Red Sox called Fulmer up to make his return to the bigs in mid-April, but he only made one appearance with the club before being designated for assignment.
The North Siders signed Fulmer to a minor-league deal in late April and he recorded three scoreless innings across two outings with the team.
If Shota Imanaga Stays Healthy, Cubs Could be NL Pennant Contenders
While the news is disappointing for Fulmer, the Cubs badly need Imanaga back on the bump.
Chicago’s pitching staff ranks in the bottom half of the senior circuit in ERA (3.90, ninth) and opponent’s batting average (.250, 10th).
With 2023 All-Star Justin Steele out for the season due to an elbow injury, Imanaga’s return is crucial.
If the Japanese ace can stay healthy the rest of the season and continue to show why he was an All-Star in his 2024 rookie campaign, the Cubs can make a case as the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League.
Spearheaded by NL MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong, offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker and NL RBI leader Seiya Suzuki, Chicago trails only Los Angeles in a host of offensive categories. Even without Imanaga at the top of the rotation, the Cubs have more than held their own in the standings since late April, entering Thursday, just 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers and Tigers in the chase for the best record in baseball.
Imanaga threw 72 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in his latest minor league rehab outing, so could be a minor workload restriction on Thursday. Either way, fans in the Windy City will surely be glad to see their ace back on the rubber.
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