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Angels Sign Former First-Round Pick After Jorge Soler Injury

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Jun 5, 2025 3:27 PM ET

The Angels are continuing to rummage through the budget bin to improve their rotation, which is 22nd in the majors in ERA and 29th in strikeout rate.

While the offense has promising hitters like Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, Taylor Ward and the injured Yoan Moncada, the Angels' pitching has been worn thin.

Yusei Kikuchi and Tyler Anderson have pitched to expectations, but their bullpen has been even worse. With the season-ending injury to Ben Joyce, the Angels have signed Hector Neris, Hunter Strickland and Buck Farmer to try to bolster their staff.

On Thursday, they made another signing in that same vein.

The Angels signed 31-year-old Carson Fulmer to a minor-league deal on Thursday, bringing him back after he was released by the Pirates.

Fulmer, who was selected with the No. 8 pick in 2015 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox, never really found his footing in the big leagues.

Fulmer pitched for Vanderbilt University and earned SEC Pitcher of the Year honors in 2014 and National Pitcher of the Year in 2015.

Due to command and mechanical issues, Fulmer never thrived with the White Sox, nor in stints with the Tigers, Orioles, or Reds.

Fulmer played in 40 games for the Angels in 2023 and 2024, posting a 4.15 ERA in a combined 96 2/3 innings with a 20.8% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate.

In 2025, Fulmer has logged over 40 innings for the Indianapolis Indians, Triple-A affiliate of the Pirates, and has done better out of the bullpen, pitching to a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings since. He has posted an overall 4.64 ERA for Indianapolis in 2025.

Fulmer is clearly comfortable in the Angels' system, showing the most promise while with the Halos. The thought seems to be that Fulmer will start at Triple-A but potentially be called up for bullpen help if needed.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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