Zumaya, Guillen to start season on disabled list

Zumaya, Guillen to start season on disabled list
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 03/15/11 1:20 PM ET

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Any lingering question whether Carlos Guillen and Joel Zumaya would be ready for Opening Day formally vanished Tuesday. Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced his two injured veterans will stay back at the club's Spring Training complex when the team breaks camp in two weeks.

Both decisions have been expected for some time. Zumaya all but ruled himself out last week after he was advised to rest his sore elbow from throwing for two weeks. If Zumaya starts throwing again next week, he'll have barely a week to throw before Spring Training ends. Zumaya said Tuesday the elbow is feeling better, but he is expected to take the full two weeks to strengthen his arm and not risk another setback.

Zumaya had surgery last July to repair a fractured bone at the tip of his right elbow. Zumaya made it through his rehab program better than expected, but he felt something in his first Spring Training game Feb. 27. This will mark the third time in four years he'll open the season on the disabled list.

Guillen said Tuesday morning his surgically repaired left knee was feeling better than it has the past few days, but it has to be pain free before he can resume baseball activities. Guillen has to run the bases again and take ground balls at game speed before he can get back into game action.

Guillen said that team physician Dr. Stephen Lemos examined his knee Monday and found no further damage.