Fulmer helps carry Tigers

Rookie has made quick impact since arrival from Mets.

Detroit manager Brad Ausmus wondered aloud about Michael Fulmer’s case for the All-Star game. Fulmer didn’t make it, but his 9-2 record and 2.11 ERA certainly deserve mentioning.

“At that pace, he’d be in the Cy Young discussion if he kept it up for a year,” Ausmus said.

For now, Fulmer will have to settle for being a top candidate for American League Rookie of the Year honors. In a season where not everything has gone as planned for the Tigers, he’s been perhaps the biggest reason they’re still very much in the mix for a postseason spot. When Detroit acquired Fulmer last year in the deal that sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Mets, the Tigers were hoping he could make a significant impact, but as with many prospects, there was no way to know it would happen so quickly.

“We saw him in spring for the first time and we knew he had electric stuff. He just had a little command issue in spring,” teammate Jordan Zimmermann said. “He came up, he’s been throwing strikes and now he’s got a changeup to go with his fastball and slider that are both ‘plus’ pitches. He’s been dominant the whole time. He’s fun to watch.”

Detroit’s rotation has been in a tough spot of late because of Zimmermann’s injury problems and Anibal Sanchez’s ineffectiveness. Fulmer, however, has been outstanding since making his debut in late April. Since May 27, he’s made eight starts and gone 6-1, allowing only three earned runs in 50⅓ innings.

Another good rookie

A 21-year-old outfielder playing regularly for a firstplace team, Nomar Mazara is hitting .282 with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs at the break. Mazara was 16 when the Rangers signed the Dominican prospect and gave him a $5 million bonus. He’s progressed quickly enough to help Texas withstand injuries to Shin-Soo Choo and Josh Hamilton this year.

Modern medicine

In a sign of the times, there’s a new medical condition called “selfie elbow” — the result of overly twisting one’s arms to take a selfie. Just one more reason why A-Rod prefers to use a fulllength mirror.

Yankee trade bait

Carlos Beltran doesn’t possess David Ortiz’s larger-than-life Big Papi persona or the cartoonish charm of the ageless Bartolo Colon.

But as the third-oldest player to be selected for the All-Star Game, Beltran is a valuable commodity: a coveted hitter who might be on the trade market before too long.

That was the gist of the questions directed at Beltran, 39, during last week, when he alternately talked about the Yankees’ iffy playoff chances and his own potential departure from the Bronx.

Twice before, Beltran has been used as midseason trade bait, by the Royals in 2004 and the Mets in 2011.

The Royals, via a three-way deal involving the A’s that sent Beltran to the Astros, received Mark Teahen, Mike Wood and John Buck in a 2004 trade. The Mets acquired Zack Wheeler from the Giants in a 2011 swap.

As for whether the Yankees will consider him a chip in a possible rebuild, Beltran shrugged.

“I’m not going to push it,” he said. “I love where I am. At the same time, the organization will make the decisions that are important to them.”

TONY DEJAK / ASSOCIATED PRESS Michael Fulmer, acquired by Detroit last year, has gone 9-2 with a 2.11 ERA. Since May 27, Fulmer has made eight starts and gone 6-1, allowing only three earned runs while taking a key role in the rotation.