PITCHERS HEALTH NEWS

There's nothing there...

04/22/2008 8:55 PM ET
Tigers relievers progressing
Zumaya playing catch, soon to start light tosses to catcher
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya has started to throw off of a mound as he continues his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery.

It doesn't mean that the hard-throwing reliever is anywhere close to a return. It doesn't even mean that the 23-year-old is ahead of schedule. Still, for someone whose future looked at least a bit in question after what is far from a standard surgery for a pitcher, it's an encouraging step.

Manager Jim Leyland has frequently commented over the last week or two on reports that say Zumaya is throwing hard during his rehab at the Tigers' Spring Training facility in Lakeland, Fla. That was while Zumaya was playing catch on flat ground. What Zumaya is doing now, said head athletic trainer Kevin Rand, is playing catch off of a mound at the end of his otherwise flat ground throwing sessions. He'll soon start making light tosses to a catcher in those situations as the Tigers try to ease his way into full bullpen sessions at the start of May.

The original timetable on Zumaya following his surgery last November calls for him to miss at least the first half of the season.

Detroit's other injured setup man, Fernando Rodney, has resumed throwing after being cleared by renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Rodney, who has yet to pitch to a batter this spring due to recurring shoulder tendinitis, played catch on Tuesday in Lakeland. The Tigers have no timetable on his return after repeated setbacks over the past month and a half.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Nate is still playable from the lat injury?

Zoom will be back in 2009, 'Nando.....who cares??

05/01/2008 8:56 PM ET
Rodney, Zumaya throw side sessions
Relievers get mound work in on Thursday, report no pain
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The stories of side sessions for injured Tigers pitchers might seem endless. For Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya, it might be the best sign yet that the end of their injury rehabs is at least in sight.

Both of Detroit's would-be setup man threw six-minute sessions off of a mound on Thursday afternoon at the team's Spring Training complex, and both felt fine. For Zumaya, it was his first intense mound work since undergoing right shoulder surgery last fall, and he was accordingly limited to fastballs and changeups.

Rodney's session was his first since orthopedist Dr. James Andrews surprisingly found no structural damage in his sore right shoulder. This was the stage where his previous comeback efforts this spring went awry. Unlike his previous sessions, Rodney felt no soreness this time. Just as important, he found a comfortable pitching motion that he could take into a game.

"He felt this was his best bullpen session to date," Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand said Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. "He felt his delivery was close to his normal delivery."

Assuming both of them feel fine on Friday, they'll throw their next bullpen sessions this weekend. Zumaya is scheduled to throw on Saturday. Rodney will throw either Saturday or Sunday, depending on how he feels.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

an entire Tigers line up functioning and healthy! wow! Christmas in May!

05/03/2008 12:25 AM ET
Bautista has shoulder soreness
Tigers reliever exits Friday's game, set for examination
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tigers reliever Denny Bautista is scheduled to have his shoulder checked out after leaving Friday's loss to the Twins with soreness.

Bautista was in the midst of a rough eighth inning at the Metrodome, having surrendered three runs on four straight two-out hits, when he apparently felt something in his shoulder on an 0-1 pitch to Mike Lamb.

"It was the last pitch he threw, a changeup," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said when asked when the soreness surfaced.

After a visit to the mound from head athletic trainer Kevin Rand and Leyland, Bautista was removed. With an 0-2 count on Lamb, Francisco Cruceta came on to throw one pitch for a called third strike.

Leyland added that Bautista was to be examined shortly. No results were immediately available.

Bautista has played a big role in helping the Tigers shape their bullpen without injured setup men Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya. The lanky, talented right-hander not only won a roster spot out of Spring Training, but earned the first shot at eighth-inning setup work. After taking the loss in extra innings on Opening Day, he pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings on three hits over nine appearances before allowing a run on Saturday against the Angels. He had three holds in as many chances.

Bautista's one struggle had been with walks -- seven of them during his scoreless streak and 12 on the season heading into Friday. Three of them came Tuesday against the Yankees, setting him up to allow a run without the benefit of a base hit thanks to a hit by pitch.

When Aquilino Lopez ran into trouble in the seventh inning, Leyland sent out Bautista to give him a low-pressure chance to work on his command.

"I thought it was important to get him back out there tonight after his last outing," Leyland said. "He was one pitch away from [finishing the inning], which would've been really good, and then he felt it on a changeup."

Bautista's injury comes on the heels of a major gain for the Tigers a day earlier, when Cruceta joined the club following a delayed arrival to the United States with visa issues.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

unbelievable!

Saturday, May 3, 2008
Tigers' Bautista goes on 15-day DL
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Tigers on Saturday placed right-hander Denny Bautista on the 15-day disabled list because of right shoulder tendinitis, a problem that forced him out of Friday night's 11-1 loss to the Twins.

To replace Bautista, the Tigers purchased the contract of right-hander Freddy Dolsi from Double-A Erie. After beginning the season at Class A Lakeland, Dolsi pitched three scoreless innings at Erie.

"Our reports about Dolsi were that he's pitching better than anybody," general manager Dave Dombrowski said.

05/03/2008 7:40 PM ET
Bautista heads to DL with sore shoulder
Reliver has no structural damage; Tigers summon Dolsi
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The good news for Tigers reliever Denny Bautista is that his sore shoulder appears to be no worse than a case of tendinitis, and he could be back ready to pitch in a week. But a week is too long for the Tigers bullpen to go short-handed, and Bautista will have some work to do on his command when he's ready to pitch again.

Bautista went on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, and the Tigers purchased the contract of right-hander Freddy Dolsi from Double-A Erie to take his place. The fact that Bautista shouldn't miss any more than minimum time required on the DL is a relief for a Tigers squad already dealing with injuries, but the Tigers need better relief from Bautista when he comes back.

Bautista left Friday's game mid-batter with two outs in the eighth inning after feeling soreness on an offspeed pitch. An MRI exam on his shoulder showed no structural damage, and so far there's no reason to suspect that he had any earlier problems with the shoulder.

Five consecutive batters had reached base on Bautista with two outs in the eighth, four of them by base hit. He threw 37 pitches in the inning despite retiring the first four batters he had faced upon entering in the seventh. The game was already out of reach, but manager Jim Leyland had inserted Bautista to give him a chance to work on his command after he walked three batters and hit another on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

As much as Leyland was happy to hear there's nothing serious, he's still concerned.

"I wanted to get him back out there because of his last outing," Leyland said. "It was a perfect time, not a lot of pressure. He was close to getting out of it and ended up throwing a ton of pitches. That's not good enough.

"I really like Bautista. I'm not down on Bautista at all, but the fact of the matter is simple. If you're going to throw a bunch of pitches every time you go out there for an outing and then you can't pitch for two or three days, then you're not worth much. And I'm not talking about Bautista. I'm talking about anybody. That's just the way it is. So if you want to throw fewer pitches, then throw more strikes. That's as simple as it is. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything."

The struggles are consistent with what Bautista has been fighting throughout his career at previous stops in Baltimore, Kansas City and Colorado. He won a spot in the Tigers' bullpen to open the season by showing solid fastball command in Spring Training, setting up his sharp breaking ball and offspeed pitch.

"Bautista's got to do one of two things," Leyland said. "He's got to be able to pitch and throw some pitches, or he's got to be able to throw strikes and less pitches if he can't take the pitch strength. You normally throw a lot of pitches if you throw balls, so the key to Bautista is to throw the ball over the plate, like anybody else."

If Bautista is ready to pitch again in 7-10 days as hoped, the Tigers could send him out for a brief Minor League rehab assignment.

Bautista becomes the third member of the Tigers' bullpen to hit the disabled list, joining the two setup men he was trying to replace. Both Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney started the season on the DL. Zumaya isn't expected back until at least the All-Star break, while Fernando Rodney has yet to pitch to batters. Both have been working out at the Tigers' Spring Training complex.

The Tigers had just gained a potentially big bullpen piece this week when they activated Francisco Cruceta. Bautista's injury weakens them again.

"Bautista, that's a blow," Leyland said, "because he's got a good arm and that. But I think if you get enough innings out of starters, I think we can mix and match until we get everybody back."

Dolsi made an impression on Leyland and Tigers coaches as a non-roster invitee in Spring Training. He followed that up by striking out 11 batters over 7 1/3 innings with five runs allowed at Class A Lakeland before he was promoted to Erie last week. He threw three scoreless innings in three games for the SeaWolves. Player development director Glenn Ezell and pitching instructor Jon Matlack recommended Dolsi as the best reliever ready for the call.

Dolsi was en route to Minneapolis on Saturday evening from Altoona, Pa., where the SeaWolves are playing this weekend. He was unlikely to arrive for Saturday's game, but should be available for Sunday's series finale.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

05/07/2008 8:25 PM ET
Willis showing patience
Left-hander will rehab right knee more before pitching
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Dontrelle Willis is not a patient person by nature, he admits, but he's showing a healthy amount of patience so far while he's less than healthy. Now he's trying to show a healthy command of the strike zone.

Though Willis still says he did not tweak his hyperextended right knee fielding a ball in Friday's rehab start for Triple-A Toledo, he's going along with the program of taking more time to work out his knee before resuming his Minor League rehab assignment. Whatever the Tigers want him to do to get healthy, he's willing to do.

For now, that means working out and playing catch while preparing to throw off of a mound again. If all goes well, that should come this weekend, putting him in line to resume his rehab stint next week.

He's anxious to get to that point, but he isn't pressing it.

"I think Dontrelle's doing [his rehab] the right way," manager Jim Leyland said.

But Willis also knows that once his rehab assignment resumes, it won't simply be his knee that's in question.

After nine walks in Willis' two Tigers starts, covering five-plus innings, the Tigers want to see an upgrade in command from him, and Willis wants the same out of himself. With his unorthodox delivery, however, it's not as simple as refining mechanics.

Though he gathers ideas and tips from pitching coaches, the most experienced coach Willis has is himself, because of the delivery. At some points, Willis has to have a feel for when he's out of sync.

"[Coaches] give me things here and there," Willis said. "And I'm all ears, because I want to be successful like everybody else. I think the biggest thing with that is trying to work on it off the field as well as in [side sessions] and stuff like that. Because when it's game time, it's just about competing then. You're not thinking about mechanics.

"I try to do things to try to get a good rhythm, and then try to stay consistent with that. That's the biggest thing. Regardless if you learn anything, you try to stay consistent with that."

Willis did not walk anyone over 4 2/3 innings last Friday at Toledo. He said there was no major adjustment involved, and no tweak in his mechanics.

"To be honest, I just threw strikes," he said. "I couldn't tell you [the difference]."

Since then, though, he's trying to repeat the feel he had that game in his side work.

"For the most part, the last couple times I've been going out and playing catch and getting on the mound in bullpens, I felt like I had good command and good rhythm," he said. "I'm just trying to continue to build off of that, especially coming off of an injury."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

05/08/2008 8:11 PM ET
Bautista working to regain his form
Righty throws for first time since exiting Friday game
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Denny Bautista is trying to get himself back to his Spring Training form, and not just from a health standpoint.

Bautista, currently on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, began his comeback process on Thursday with a short session of catch with closer Todd Jones off of flat ground. It was his first throwing of any kind since he left last Friday's game at Minnesota with his shoulder flaring up.

Bautista felt a little sore after about 15 throws, but better overall, he said. The more accurate judgment for the Tigers' training staff will be how the shoulder feels on Friday after a night's rest. If Bautista feels good, or at least experiences nothing more than reasonable soreness, he should be able to progress quickly and throw off a mound soon. The fact that he hasn't missed very much time from pitching works in his favor.

Still, the Tigers will want Bautista to pitch in a Minor League rehab stint before they activate him. It's not simply about ensuring that his shoulder is close to full strength, but ensuring that his command is coming along with it. That was in question before he got hurt, though he said he didn't feel any tendinitis until throwing a rare changeup last Friday at the Metrodome.

He threw almost all fastballs the previous Tuesday against the Yankees, he said, because he couldn't get a comfortable grip on the ball. It was slipping out of his hand, he said, and he ended up walking three batters and hitting another.

Last Friday, then, "I hadn't thrown a changeup yet," Bautista said. "I just threw one changeup the other day, and that's when I felt something a little bit."

Regaining his command, he indicated, is a matter of duplicating the form he had earlier this year. He won a setup job out of Spring Training by spotting his fastball consistently, limiting his walks and setting up his breaking ball. Now he has to find that form again.

"I don't worry about it," he said, "because you know I did a good job in Spring Training. I just have to [throw] my fastball for a strike, and then keep doing the same thing that I was doing in Spring Training and the same thing to start the season this year. I just have to work a little bit with my fastball, just go back to the command I had in Spring Training."

If that includes a rehab assignment, so be it, even though he has a right to decline it.

"If they want to send me down there to throw a couple innings, I have to go," Bautista said. "I just want to get my arm healthy and go down there and throw some innings and be ready to play baseball in a big league game. I have to face some hitters before I join the team. I'll just see what happens next week and then go from there."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

I like the attitude coming from both Willis and Bautista! They sound like team players that just want to do what's best for the Tigers! That is a breath of fresh air!

05/09/2008 11:25 PM ET
Willis to resume rehab assignment
Tigers schedule Monday start at Triple-A for injured lefty
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Dontrelle Willis is set to give his Minor League rehabilitation assignment another go.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before Friday's 6-5 win over the Yankees that the left-hander's hyperextended right knee feels strong enough that he can pitch for Triple-A Toledo next week. Willis, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Marlins in December that also brought Miguel Cabrera to Detroit, will start on Monday in the Mud Hens' game at Charlotte, and if all goes well, he'll start next Saturday's game at Columbus.

"I feel good -- I feel real good," Willis said.

Willis threw a successful bullpen session with Tigers pitching coach Chuck Hernandez on Friday. It was Willis' first bullpen session since he was shut down following his first rehab start at Toledo last week, and Tigers coaches were impressed with the results.

"He did fine," Leyland said. "He's throwing the ball good -- good command. We're going to continue to monitor him."

Willis injured the knee after slipping on the pitcher's mound against the White Sox on April 11. He made one rehab start at Toledo on May 2, giving up two runs in 4 2/3 innings, but he was recalled from the assignment after possibly tweaking the knee on a tough fielding play in the first inning. Willis said he did not aggravate the injury, but the Tigers didn't want to take any chances.

After making his start at Charlotte on Monday, Willis will rejoin the Tigers in Kansas City to throw another bullpen session with Hernandez. If there are no problems, he will meet up with the Mud Hens in Columbus.

Leyland couldn't comment on whether Willis will make any additional starts for Toledo before rejoining the Tigers' rotation. He suggested that Willis should make at least two rehab starts, but he said no plans are set past the lefty's second start.

Willis' injury came in only his second start of the season. He gave up just one hit and three runs to the White Sox, but he walked seven batters and took a no-decision.

Triple-A callup Armando Galarraga has filled in for Willis and has made the most of his opportunity. The young righty has gone 2-1 with a 3.07 ERA, issuing nine walks and striking out 21.

Leyland has not said how the club will make room on its roster once Willis returns. However, he did say after Friday's game that Willis will undoubtedly take Galarraga's spot in the Tigers' rotation, but there remains a question of whether Galarraga will be sent to the Minors or stay with the Tigers as a reliever when Willis returns.

The Tigers will skip Galarraga's spot in the rotation, which was to come up Tuesday at Kansas City, and start him Saturday at Arizona instead. Justin Verlander will start Tuesday on his normal rest, which will also allow him to start a week from Sunday at Arizona on normal rest. With off days the next two Mondays, Verlander would've otherwise been starting with an extra day's rest each time, something Leyland wanted to avoid.

"I need to get Verlander going," Leyland said.

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

05/10/2008 3:52 PM ET
Rodney, Zumaya showing improvement
Tigers relievers to make rehab stints, but return date unknown
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Injured setup men Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya are about to take their next step toward returning to the Tigers' bullpen.

Detroit manager Jim Leyland said before Saturday afternoon's game against the Yankees that Rodney and Zumaya have had successful throwing sessions off a mound, and they will start throwing to batters starting next week at the Tigers' Spring Training facility in Lakeland, Fla.

"They're making progress, but we're going to make sure everything's right," Leyland said. "We're not rushing anything."

Rodney will face batters during his next throwing session scheduled early next week, while Zumaya will start facing hitters later in the week.

Both players are listed on the 15-day disabled list and have not thrown in a game this season.

Zumaya injured his right shoulder while moving boxes near his San Diego home and underwent surgery in November. The original timetable for the right-handed fireballer called for him to miss at least half the season, and Leyland said on Saturday that Zumaya's progression is on par with the original timetable.

Rodney has suffered from recurring tendinitis in his right shoulder since Spring Training. A visit to renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., showed no structural damage in the shoulder, and Rodney has reported no pain since. Leyland said no set timetable exists for his return.

The return of a healthy Zumaya and Rodney could fortify what has already been a dependable bullpen, despite the fact that it has thrown the third-most innings among American League relievers.

Leyland didn't want to get ahead of himself, but he commented on how the Tigers' bullpen would look with its two primary setup men back.

"If we can get those two guys back in top form, all of a sudden we're looking at a pretty nasty bullpen out there," Leyland said. "I've always said I like our bullpen and they can get the job done, but if those guys come back, we could have a heck of a bullpen."

Zumaya, who has been clocked at 103 mph, fought through arm troubles last season to go 2-3 with a 4.28 ERA. Rodney had shoulder problems last year as well, and he had a 2-6 record and 4.26 ERA.

Both pitchers were key pieces to the Tigers' run to the 2006 World Series. That season, they combined to go 13-7 with a 2.67 ERA.

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Why do I have this really bad nagging feeling that we will never see Zoom again?

SoulRat wrote:

Why do I have this really bad nagging feeling that we will never see Zoom again?

Or Rodney, for that matter.

05/13/2008 9:50 PM ET
Day off throws Bautista out of rhythm
Reliever too sore for catch Tuesday after not throwing Monday
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- A day off from pitching was good for a lot of Tigers, but it didn't really help Denny Bautista, who is trying to recover from right-shoulder tendinitis.

Bautista, on the disabled list since May 3, tried to play catch on Tuesday but experienced shoulder soreness as he threw. He's hoping that was simply a byproduct of not doing any throwing on Monday, when the Tigers were off. He did throw on Sunday morning, he said, before rain postponed the afternoon's game between the Tigers and Yankees.

Bautista said he plans on playing catch again on Wednesday to see how his shoulder feels then. If he feels fine, then he can start thinking again about throwing off of a mound. For now, he said, there's no timetable for that.

Bautista emerged out of Spring Training from a relative long-shot candidate to become Detroit's primary setup man behind Todd Jones, after Fernando Rodney joined Joel Zumaya on the disabled list to open the season. He got off to a decent start before inconsistent command caught up with him. He walked the bases loaded and hit another batter in two-thirds of an inning on April 29 at New York before allowing three runs on four hits over 1 1/3 innings May 2 at Minnesota.

For the season, Bautista has allowed six runs on 12 hits over 13 1/3 innings with 13 walks and eight strikeouts.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

laprimamirala wrote:

SoulRat wrote:

Why do I have this really bad nagging feeling that we will never see Zoom again?

Or Rodney, for that matter.

THAT one, (Nando)....I could live without.

Bautista?? I don't remember him

tigersaint wrote:

Bautista?? I don't remember him

Only our Best Reliever this season.

:bautista:

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

tigersaint wrote:

Bautista?? I don't remember him

Only our Best Reliever this season.

:bautista:

05/22/2008 6:25 PM ET
Bautista has work to do in Triple-A
Reliever hoping to become more efficient and a faster healer
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Tigers reliever Denny Bautista will begin a Minor League rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo starting on Saturday. But it's not just his health that club officials are looking for; it's his command, too.

Bautista has been sidelined since May 3 with right shoulder tendinitis. He had endured two rough outings before that, walking three batters and hitting another on April 29 against the Yankees before giving up three runs on four hits on May 2 at Minnesota. He complained of shoulder soreness after the latter outing.

Manager Jim Leyland said after the latter performance that Bautista would have to either become more efficient with his pitches or condition himself to bounce back quickly from long outings. If he can command his fastball better, which he did in Spring Training, the efficiency should improve dramatically.

"Obviously, we would like to get him back as soon as possible," Leyland said. "But at the same time, if it's not right and you don't feel like you're sharp enough to compete at the Major League level, then take some extra time down there.

"This is going to be an important time for a lot of guys. I don't want to send the wrong message, because I don't mean it that way, but if things go as we'd like,in the not-too-distant future there's a possibility we might have [Fernando] Rodney and [Joel] Zumaya. It's down the road yet, but at some point [it's possible]. So performance is going to be important for these guys. The message is [to] make sure you feel you're ready to compete."

The plan, Leyland said, is for Bautista to throw an inning on Saturday and two innings on Tuesday before the Tigers re-evaluate him.

"We're going to play it by ear from there," Leyland said.

Neither Rodney nor Zumaya are anywhere close to coming back, but Detroit's bullpen has still changed since Bautista went on the DL. Francisco Cruceta, who had joined the club just before Bautista went on the shelf, has emerged as the Tigers' eighth-inning setup man in Bautista's place. It's uncertain how Bautista's return will affect that.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

06/11/2008 10:50 PM ET
Zumaya struggles in rehab outing
Righty gives up two runs on two hits in one inning in Triple-A
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Tigers setup man Joel Zumaya didn't have his best stuff in his latest Minor League rehab appearance on Wednesday night at Triple-A Toledo.

Despite hitting 100 mph twice on the radar gun, he allowed two runs -- one earned -- on two hits and two walks in one inning and didn't record an out in his second inning of work in the Mud Hens' win over the Indianapolis Indians, the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate.

"My goal is not to do what I did [on Wednesday]," Zumaya said. "Every pitcher is going to run into a rough outing. [Wednesday] just wasn't my night. Obviously the velocity is there, but strikes weren't."

Zumaya, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, threw 17 of his 34 pitches for strikes. He fell behind in the count against six of the eight batters he faced.

He said the control problems did not result from an effort to top 100 mph.

"I [hit 100 mph] a couple times just to show the fans I still have it in me," Zumaya said, "but I was just trying to get outs. I was pressing a little bit too much."

He reported no pain in his shoulder. When asked if the shoulder had anything to do with his lackluster outing, he said: "There's nothing wrong with my shoulder no more. It was me flying open a little bit and leaving the ball up."

Zumaya entered the game in the sixth with the Mud Hens up, 3-1. He surrendered a hard liner to his first hitter, but first baseman Derek Wathan made a diving catch to rob the opposing batter of a hit. After a strikeout, Zumaya issued a walk and an infield hit before escaping the two-on jam with a popup to third.

The first batter of his second inning bunted, and Zumaya quickly pounced off the mound to scoop it. But his throw went well to the right of Wathan into the Indianapolis bullpen.

"The ball slipped out," Zumaya said. "It sounds like an excuse, but I didn't have a good grip on it. The guy was running down the line pretty fast, and I ended up throwing it where I didn't want it to go."

A double to deep right-center field by his next hitter allowed a run to score. The run marked the first Zumaya has allowed in his four rehab outings.

A five-pitch walk to the next hitter ended Zumaya's night.

"It was just a rough night," he said. "I couldn't throw strikes, and it's something I need to work on."

Zumaya, a key piece in the Tigers' run to the 2006 World Series, made his second appearance for Toledo this week after two showings last week at Class A Lakeland. In his four rehab outings, Zumaya has allowed two runs on four hits and three walks, while striking out three in five innings.

He said he will travel to Comerica Park on Thursday for a workout before returning to Toledo for his next rehab outing on Friday -- the same day Detroit's other rehabbing reliever, right-hander Fernando Rodney, is scheduled to throw.

"Hopefully I do better next time out and get a little phone call to come to Detroit," Zumaya said.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland set a timetable for each pitcher when talking to reporters before Wednesday's game against the White Sox at Comerica Park.

He said if Zumaya threw well on Wednesday night, he could return for next weekend's series at San Diego. If Rodney throws well on Friday, the team hopes to recall him later this week and have him ready for a three-game series at San Francisco starting Monday. Any unforeseen setbacks could change either plan.

Zumaya had surgery to repair his acromioclavicular (AC) joint in his right shoulder last October and has not pitched in the Majors this season. Neither has Rodney, who has battled shoulder tendinitis since Spring Training.

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Quote :

He said if Zumaya threw well on Wednesday night, he could return for next weekend's series at San Diego. If Rodney throws well on Friday, the team hopes to recall him later this week and have him ready for a three-game series at San Francisco starting Monday. Any unforeseen setbacks could change either plan.

We waited for so long for this to happen! And it's near now!