DETROIT _ The month of May was not kind to Michael Fulmer.
In six starts, the Detroit Tigers pitcher compiled a 6.32 ERA, allowing 22 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings. His last outing, when he gave up six hits and five earned runs to the Los Angeles Angels on May 29, was one of Fulmer's worst on the season.
Sunday's start against the Toronto Blue Jays showed incremental improvement _ although it might not appear that way on the periphery.
Fulmer went six innings, allowing four runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and walks each as the Tigers lost, 8-4. After allowing no runs through the first five innings, Fulmer gave up a two-run home run with two outs in the top of the sixth. He opened the next inning by allowing two consecutive baserunners and was replaced by Warwick Saupold.
Fulmer said after the game that he "felt good." His manager and catcher, meanwhile, had only praise.
"I thought he did great," manager said Ron Gardenhire after the game. "I was happy with what I saw. If we can get that, and him move forward from there, I think we're going to have just what we expected _ one of those aces that when he gets the ball, matches up against their ace."
Gardenhire said he told Fulmer after the game that he "threw the crap out of the ball," and that Fulmer should be happy with the performance. In Gardenhire's mind, Fulmer kept the Tigers in the game and gave them a "great opportunity" to win.
James McCann shared a similar sentiment. McCann said he was impressed by Fulmer's fastball velocity, telling reporters he felt like he was "seeing a seven after that nine" every time he looked up.
"I thought he threw the ball extremely well," McCann said. "His command was the best it's been in several starts. He pounded the zone with his fastballs, four-seam and his two-seam, and the only mistake while I was in there was falling behind 3-0 to Smoak."
But does Fulmer himself feel like he's on the right track? Not quite yet.
"I'll be back when we start winning games again," he said. "That's it."
James McCann left Sunday's contest early, with John Hicks replacing Detroit's starting catcher in the top of the seventh.
After the game, Gardenhire told reporters that McCann had suffered a left intercostal spasm.
"Took him out, had the doctors check him out," Gardenhire said. "They kind of re-aligned him. Something to do with a rib out of whack or something. He felt it, I think, on a play out there."
The injury appears to be relatively minor. Gardenhire and McCann both said the plan is for McCann to play in the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the New York Yankees, barring the injury worsening.
McCann said the injury occurred during a play in the top of the fifth inning, when he threw to second base as Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin attempted to steal and was caught in a rundown.
"That's really when I started to feel it," McCann said. "Worked on it between innings, came back out, it was fine, started to tighten up again. With the doubleheader tomorrow, it just wasn't worth the risk of trying to play through it and hurting it more than what had already happened."
One roster move may have been prematurely announced when Double-A Erie reliever Sandy Baez posted on Instagram late Saturday night that he had been called up by the Tigers.
Gardenhire confirmed Baez's call-up after the game, while also revealing a couple other moves.
Reliever Johnny Barbato, who pitched a scoreless inning in relief Sunday, is headed down to Toledo, while Triple-A Toledo pitcher Drew VerHagen has been called up and will start the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Yankees.
VerHagen was designated for assignment by the Tigers earlier this season on April 23. He was sent outright to Toledo, where he has since made six starts, compiling a 1.32 ERA in the process.
In nine appearances earlier this year with the Tigers, VerHagen tallied a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings.
Gardenhire told reporters that he's been keeping track of VerHagen and has watched "a couple" of his games. He's been pleased with what he's seen.
"He's throwing the ball really well," Gardenhire said. "He's throwing strikes with all of his pitches. His curveball has been good. ... He's pretty much did what we asked him to do, go down there and figure out a way to throw the ball over the plate and get deep into games. Stretched him out really good. He's done that, so look forward to seeing him bring that up here."
