Angels Select Michael Fulmer

Right-hander Michael Fulmer is joining the Angels tonight against the Royals. The club announced the selection of Fulmer’s contract, along with the demotion of lefty Sammy Peralta back to Triple-A. The Angels moved catcher Sebastian Rivero to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot for Fulmer.

The 33-year-old Fulmer made his big-league return last season in brief stints with the Red Sox and Cubs. He’d missed all of 2024 after undergoing elbow surgery. Fulmer spent the majority of this year with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. He was released from Sacramento earlier this month. The Angels grabbed the veteran righty on a minor league deal earlier this week. He’ll head to the majors after just one appearance at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Fulmer was in the middle of a strong minor league season before he departed from the River Cats. He posted a 2.98 ERA with a 29.1% strikeout rate across 37 appearances. Fulmer picked up 10 saves in Sacramento’s bullpen.

It’s the second straight season of solid Triple-A production for Fulmer. He bounced around frequently in 2025, but performed well at most of his stops. The righty compiled a 3.39 ERA over 66 1/3 innings split between the Red Sox, Mariners, Royals, and Cubs organizations. Fulmer had a double-digit walk rate, though it came with a strong 31% strikeout rate.

Fulmer earned AL Rookie of the Year honors with the Tigers in 2016. He earned an All-Star selection the following season. Injuries would derail Fulmer from there. He suffered a litany of arm injuries, including a Tommy John surgery in 2019, along with multiple other issues. Fulmer has been a full-time reliever since 2022.

Peralta allowed two earned runs over three innings during his short time with the Angels. He struck out five across two appearances. The lefty joined the club on a minor league deal at the end of June. Peralta had been designated for assignment after two rough appearances with the Rockies.

The Angels will place Peralta on waivers. He’s likely to pass through without a claim, like he did when he went through the process with Colorado. Since he’s been outrighted before, Peralta can reject an outright assignment and choose free agency.

Rivero fractured his left hamate in early June. He’s already spent more than two months on the IL, so his shift to the 60-day list is procedural. Rivero had a brief run as the Angels’ starter behind the plate after Logan O’Hoppe and Travis d’Arnaud went down with injuries. O’Hoppe was traded to the Rangers, but d’Arnaud is now healthy. The Angels also added Tyler Heineman and Moises Ballesteros to the catcher depth chart.