Dontrelle Willis Career Tracker

JON PAUL MOROSI | INSIDE THE TIGERS
Dontrelle Willis seeks bounce back year -- but will it be with Tigers?

BY JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • December 7, 2008

Almost exactly one year ago, the Tigers announced a trade that was supposed to deliver a championship. Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis were on their way to Detroit, and chief executive Dave Dombrowski was praised for his aggressiveness.

The winter meetings begin anew today in Las Vegas, and many in the industry — Dombrowski included — believe this will be a very active week. The Tigers have a limited budget, and they need a catcher, shortstop and closer.

They could trade an expensive veteran to clear payroll, but how realistic would that be? Willis, for example, is due to earn $10 million next year and $12 million in 2010. Is any general manager going to look at Willis’ performance this year — 0-2, 9.38 ERA, too many outings were he could not throw strikes — and ask Dombrowski to send him the bill?

Well, not the entire bill. That’s an important distinction.

The odds do not favor a Willis trade this off-season, but the possibility will linger for a simple reason: Every team in baseball needs pitching.

All clubs are on the lookout for pitchers they believe are on the brink of a Cliff Lee Turnaround. Lee won the American League Cy Young Award this season, one year after he had a 6.29 ERA and was sent to the minors.

Is Willis a candidate? Some scouts say yes. Many say no. The consensus is that the Tigers would need to pay a significant portion of the contract — or take on a bad deal in return — in order to move him.

The Tigers do have one thing working in their favor: Baseball people have a perpetual belief in their ability to fix talented underperformers, particularly if they do not need to pay the player’s full salary.

Manager Jim Leyland recommended that Willis pitch in a winter league this off-season, but he decided against it. Willis’ agent, Matt Sosnick, said he has been working out near his homes in Miami and San Francisco.

Willis, whose conditioning came into question earlier this year, has focused on flexibility and cardiovascular strength, Sosnick said.

“There’s no target weight, but he’s really thin now. He’s been running a lot and eating very carefully,” Sosnick said. “He’s a guy who has a lot of pride. He feels really strongly that he’s going to have a big year.”

Sosnick described the 2008 season as an emotional “perfect storm” for Willis. His wife, Natalee, suffered through severe complications after the premature birth of the couple’s daughter.

“He felt like, with a lot of the stuff being mental that was going on, he wanted to concentrate on his kids and family this off-season,” Sosnick said. “He put an incredible amount of pressure on himself (this) year.”

Sosnick said Willis has told him repeatedly that he is going to “win at least 15 games for Detroit” in 2009.

“Three years ago, if you asked anybody in baseball, nobody would have said CC Sabathia was better than Dontrelle Willis,” Sosnick contended. “Dontrelle is going to have a real awakening. He’s doing everything in his power to make that happen.”

When asked if Willis might benefit from a trade, Sosnick said, “I think whatever part of him would choose to have a fresh start would be offset by the fact that he’d like to redeem himself and make clear that the deal Dave made was the right deal for the Tigers. Given his choice, Dontrelle wants to be successful in Detroit.”
Contact JON PAUL MOROSI at 313-223-4097 or jmorosi@freepress.com. Check out his Tigers blog at www.freep.com/sports

Friday, February 13, 2009
Tigers' Willis has the look
Tigers lefty in great shape, feeling relaxed and stronger
Lynn Henning / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Anyone within earshot of the morning conversation with his locker mate, Nate Robertson, could have detected that something was different with Dontrelle Willis.

As in, just about everything.

Willis kibitzed and laughed and looked overwhelmingly relaxed Thursday in the Tigers clubhouse at Marchant Stadium, where pitchers and catchers formally will open spring camp Saturday.

But it was not only his demeanor that suggested a man fresh from a catastrophic 2008 season was perhaps on his way back to becoming a capable big league pitcher. It was the way he looked.

Willis says he's down "about five pounds." It might be the heaviest five pounds any baseball player has ever shed.

Willis, a left-hander, appears to be in the kind of shape a Marine would appreciate, which is a match for the way he feels heading into a 2009 season that he hopes will be a 180-degree turnaround from last season's nightmare.

"It's a lot more fun this year," Willis said as he took a break from his Robertson gabfest to talk about a new season. "I feel stronger, and I feel strong, mentally.

"I'm a human being. I did the best I could do last year, but I didn't get it done," said Willis, who pitched only 24 innings as a knee injury and a horrific inability to throw strikes (35 walks) forced the Tigers to return him to Lakeland for a mechanical and psychological makeover.

"It was a case of me fighting myself, and my knee. It's hard enough to battle opponents and be successful without battling yourself.

"I'm ready to have fun this year and I'm pleased to be employed again. I'm happy, but not content. I know I can help this ballclub. It's a great place to play. The sky's the limit for this team, and everybody seems ready to go."

Willis, 27, came to the Tigers in the December 2007 trade that also brought superstar slugger Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Willis had exceptional success early in his career with the Florida Marlins, but had begun to have control issues even before the Tigers acquired him.

He injured a knee in his second start of the season, in a game against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, and did not pitch a big league game for the next six weeks. What began as an initial stretch of bad luck soon turned into a confounding disaster.

The knee and its effects, Willis believes, contributed to a subsequent breakdown in his already unorthodox delivery. It gashed his confidence and left a man who has always been considered a "feel" pitcher struggling to find his moorings.

Now, he says, his knee has healed. An offseason regimen overseen by Javair Gillett, the Tigers strength and conditioning coach, focused on endurance and streamlining Willis' 6-foot-4 frame. He's listed at 225 pounds, but was almost certainly well beyond 225 in 2008.

Now, his weight and his considerable height are back in balance.

"I talked with Javair a lot -- maybe too much," Willis said, with a chuckle. "It was run and run all offseason. Usually, I'm a long-distance guy. These drills were just shorter."

Willis has been in Lakeland for the past month and, in the words of Tigers pitching coach Rick Knapp, has "looked terrific."

Matt Treanor agrees. The Tigers' new backup catcher played with Willis at Florida and knows him well.

"He looks strong, really strong," Treanor said Thursday, mentioning that Willis appeared different in an even more significant way.

"In his eyes, he's got that 'look' back," Treanor said. "I saw him (on television games) a few times last year, and I could see that sense of confidence was missing.

"He's normally a happy-go-lucky guy, giggling and laughing with the guys, except when he's on the mound, and then he's all business.

"He's a physical type of guy who wants to carry a team and get deep into games. I can imagine how he was feeling last year."

Willis will be battling for one of five starting rotation spots along with Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Edwin Jackson, Armando Galarraga, Nate Robertson and, perhaps, Zach Miner.

"To be honest, I've always felt like I have to win a job every spring," said Willis, who won 22 games for the Marlins in 2005. "Hey, that's good (the competition). It's beautiful.

"It'll be an aerial attack."

Willis spent much of the offseason shuttling between his home in Miami and his hometown of Oakland, Calif., where his mother and grandmother still live. During those West Coast visits he hooked up with an old friend from the Bay Area, and another left-hander of some repute: CC Sabathia, who is now pitching for the New York Yankees.

The two talked about "baseball stuff," Willis said. That's the kind of stuff he hopes to focus on in 2009 -- a year removed from a season he hopes quickly to forget.

02/12/09 8:38 PM EST
Willis ready to fight for spot at camp
After struggles last season, left-hander competing for a job in rotation

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis could easily be diagnosed as out of sync with his pitching. It would be tough to call him out of touch with reality as he heads into Spring Training.

"I'm still a big league ballplayer," Willis said Thursday before his morning workout at Tigertown ahead of the formal start to Spring Training this weekend.

"I still have fun, and I'm still blessed to have a job. In this day and age, it puts everything in perspective. A lot of people don't have jobs, and I'm blessed to be a big league guy. I'm not doing as well as I want to, but hey, I still have a job. I'm here."

He doesn't have a set job in terms of a role, but he's fighting for one. It's a long way from his past success as a 20-game winner and a front-line starter, but it's a good amount of progress from his summer as a Minor League starter last season.

Willis isn't going to complain. At this point, he just wants to compete, and he feels like he has put himself in a position for that. Part of that was to put last year behind him.

Though he downplayed any weight loss or muscle gain, saying he had lost maybe five pounds, his physical condition is noticeably solid. After taking off much of October, he worked out in the offseason with good friend CC Sabathia in the Bay Area, and former Marlins teammate Juan Pierre in South Florida. He kept in frequent touch with Tigers strength and conditioning coach Javair Gillett, who monitored his program to try to keep Willis' knee healthy.

He has always been a big runner in the offseason, but instead of the typical distance work a pitcher might do for endurance, Willis worked on sprints to work on the knee without pounding it. He started his throwing program with a focus on a good foundation and a consistent delivery.

"I just want to get it to a point where, when I'm on the mound, I just go out there and throw, and that's it," Willis said. "I'm happy where I'm at right now. I'm not content, though."

He took his workouts here to Lakeland early, reporting a month ago and promptly getting to work. He has talked frequently with pitching coach Rick Knapp, whose focus on consistent mechanics and pounding the strike zone works into Willis' needs.

"He liked the way I've been going about my business," Willis said. "I'm working hard, and most definitely trying to work smart. He's come from an organization where guys take pride in attacking the strike zone. They've had a lot of great arms coming out of there, as you see now. He has some good points of view, and they were short and simple. I have the attention span of a 6-year-old."

If he can forget about last season, it'll be all the better. It started with some control issues during Spring Training, carried into the season with a low-hit, high-walk Tigers debut, halted with a hyperextended knee in his next start, and seemingly unraveled from there.

He had some points of encouragement upon his return in September, some stretches where he would pound the strike zone and challenge hitters. Other times, his pitch count would rise in turn with his walks, setting him up for disappointment.

"It was the combination of a lot of things -- me getting hurt, not an excuse, and me fighting myself," Willis said. "I feel healthy, and now I get to fight the opponents that are fighting me. So we'll see."

He sounds anything but defeated as he heads into that fight. Willis isn't going to pretend that he learned anything new about himself from last season, but he isn't going to feel sorry for himself, either.

"I wanted to be a big league ballplayer, but that's life," Willis said. "It wasn't the first time to have trials and tribulations, and it won't be the last. But I felt like I took it in stride, and I handled myself as a professional. I was able to get back up. The last start, I was able to throw the ball a little bit better. I took what I can from those games and tried to intertwine it into the offseason. That's life.

"I'm here. I never ran from anything in my life. I've been through a lot. I take a lot of pride. I'm honestly able to look in the mirror and say I did the best I could. It just didn't get it done, but that doesn't mean I'm not rooting for my teammates to get it done.

As far as having to compete with some of those same teammates for a job, he isn't taking it as anything new. His locker in the Spring Training clubhouse is next to that of Nate Robertson, who is trying to come back from his own struggles last year. Along with Zach Miner, they're trying to win the same rotation spot.

"I always felt like I had to win a job," Willis said. "I always took that mentality. I've always felt like that, which is good. It makes you better and everyone else around you better. Let the chips fall where they may. I'm going to work as hard as I can.

"There's a lot of talented arms. That's a great thing. I like that. It'll be an aerial attack. Wherever the chips may fall, if it helps this team win a championship, I'm all for it.
My mentality will never change for this game, regardless of the circumstances. I remember warming up five times in the [2003 National League] playoffs and throwing three pitches to Barry Bonds, and I was happy to get him out."

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

02/17/09 10:00 AM EST
Willis' comeback off to good start
Left-hander fighting for spot in Tigers' rotation after struggles in '08

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Rick Knapp's first contact with Dontrelle Willis as the new Tigers pitching coach didn't include a mechanical change, a new pitch or an update on his physical condition. Before Knapp changed anything, he wanted to take stock of what he wanted to keep.

"When I called Dontrelle the first time," Knapp recalled, "I told him, 'Look, I know you had a tough year. The only thing I want you to concentrate on is, I want you to be yourself. I don't want you to be a mechanical robot. I don't want you to consciously try to make your delivery perfect. I don't want you to lose your personality.'

"It is my opinion that Dontrelle's personality is what separates him. And my hope was that it would make him feel more comfortable, that I'm not going to jump in there and try to change the world, that I want him to just be who he is."

Willis' personality is in prime form. His pitching is the next target.

The statistics from Willis' 2008 season are well-known by now, and still daunting. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of the Tigers debut last April 5 vs. the White Sox, but walked seven batters in the process. After a hyperextended knee led to a six-week stay on the disabled list, he continued to battle his command until five walks over 1 1/3 innings during a June 9 start led to eight runs against the Indians on national television.

By then, Willis had enough service time and leverage with his long-term contract to decline an option to the Minor Leagues. Nonetheless, when the Tigers asked, he accepted, essentially sacrificing the rest of his season to try to work on his game after a knee sprain in July.

In all, Willis walked 35 Major League batters over 24 innings with 18 strikeouts and five wild pitches. The Tigers tried to keep the message positive, but the challenge was obvious: Willis had seemingly lost the ability to pound the strike zone.

"I wanted to be a big league ballplayer, but that's life," Willis said last week. "It wasn't the first time with trials and tribulations, and it won't be the last. But I felt like I took it in stride. I handled myself like a professional. I was able to get back up. The last day that I started [in September], I was able to throw the ball a little bit better. I threw the ball decent in Texas, and then I had a rough start in Cleveland. I took what I can from those games, tried to intertwine it with the offseason."

Rightly or not, the situation drew comparisons to some of baseball's biggest pitching breakdowns, such as Steve Blass in the 1970s, Mark Wohlers in the 1990s, and Rick Ankiel earlier this decade. Ankiel made it back to the big leagues pitching in September of 2004 before becoming an outfielder. Only Wohlers among them fully made it back to pitch extensively in the Majors again, becoming a valued setup man before injuries closed out his career.

Willis could be back this year. He has a chance to win the fifth spot in Detroit's rotation this spring in a competition with Nate Robertson, who had his own pitching issues last year with his workhorse slider, and swingman Zach Miner.

The difference that seems to separate Willis from Blass, Ankiel, Wohlers and other cases is that so many of his issues started physically, not mentally. He was known for his unorthodox windup and delivery as soon as he earned the call from the Marlins in 2003. No one would've recommended the mechanics of it, but the delivery worked from one year to the next. Those mechanics were all over the place last year, and the knee injury didn't help.

"It was the combination of a lot of things: Me getting hurt -- not an excuse, that's just what it was -- and me fighting myself," Willis said.

And as Willis pointed out, he usually isn't one to worry too much about mechanics. Once he gets a windup down, he wants to be consistent. That was part of Knapp's motivation for not getting into mechanics at first.

Willis turned down a chance from the Tigers to play winter ball and instead stayed home to focus on his offseason work. Other than shortening his runs from distance to sprints to protect his knees, he didn't change his routine. He looked for consistency, and he's trying for the same mechanically.

"I didn't really want to put too much emphasis on that because I'm not that complex of a guy," Willis said. "I just want to get it to the point where, when I'm on the mound, I just go out there and throw."

His final outing from last season, Sept. 27 against the Rays, is arguably the closest he has come to that in a Detroit uniform. For a few brief innings, he was hitting the outside corner on right-handed batters with one pitch after another from his long left arm. He still ended up with three walks, but added five strikeouts, and fell two outs shy of a quality start.

When Willis did hit the strike zone last year, he usually wasn't pounded. Batters went a combined 18-for-86 (.209) against him last year, including 3-for-24 by left-handed hitters.

As he turned and fired off the back mounds at the Tigers complex on Monday, his second formal bullpen and one of a handful of times he's thrown off the mound since he came to Lakeland a month ago, the results were relatively upbeat. Willis still brings up his lanky right leg as he winds up, but the kick is more subdued.

"He's been awesome," said Knapp, who has watched him since January. "His side sessions, I haven't really had to get too involved with him at all. He's a man on a mission. He really looks like he's locked in on being everything he's supposed to be.

"Who knows whatever happens over the course of a year? It'll just take me some time to get to know him a little bit better as a player and as a person. But I've liked what I've seen so far."

Willis, for his part, is far from subdued as a personality. He is joking around in the Tigers clubhouse, chatting up and down the cluster of lockers known as pitchers' row.

As he said often last year, he has fun playing the game, and his struggles couldn't have been entertaining for him debuting on a different team in a city more than 1,000 miles away from his South Florida home.

Willis' comeback has generated enough hope around the Tigers without having faced a live hitter. That comes in a couple weeks, putting an opponent into play for Willis, beside the one that stares back in the mirror.

"I'll have a lot more fun this year, that's for sure," Willis said. "I feel healthy, and now I get to fight the opponent instead of fighting myself. We'll see."

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

Lets go D Train! You got this!

02/21/09 7:25 PM EST
D-Train's BP session a success
Leyland praises left-hander's efforts on the mound Saturday

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Most pitchers' sessions can be judged off the reactions they get from hitters. With Dontrelle Willis, his positive faces on the mound Saturday were a reflection of his arm.

Whether it was a nod of the head, a point of the glove or an encouraging word from his mouth, Willis' mannerisms spoke to how well he was pitching Saturday morning. He'll do some of those things on bad pitches, as he showed at times last year, but he didn't have many such times to test him on this day. The hitters who stepped into the box to face him backed him up.

One such hitter, Brandon Inge, called it the best he has seen Willis since he joined the Tigers a year ago. So did manager Jim Leyland, who watched the session.

"I'm sure Dontrelle walked off there today feeling pretty good about himself," Leyland said. "And he should."

By all reports, Willis has been throwing well since he arrived here last month. Until Saturday, however, all of that had been just throwing to the catcher without anyone in the batters box as an opponent.

In these early sessions, the hitter mainly serves as a reference point for a strike zone. It didn't take Willis long to hone in on it.

"I accomplished what I thought about last night, what I wanted to do," Willis said. "I wanted to throw everything in the zone and try to make them hit everything. I feel like I was around the zone. When I did miss, I was able to make adjustments accordingly. I just want to have them hitting the ball, and with the type of defense we have, I really think that's in my favor to do that. That's all I wanted to do in this batting practice."

That's part of the day-to-day approach he's taking during camp -- thinking about what he wants to accomplish the night before, then trying to get there in the morning. The next day, he's on to a new goal. That approach, he believes, helps his focus when he takes the mound.

"Just win the day," Willis said. "Take whatever you can into tomorrow and continue to work. Go off of that every day. I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to do, mechanically."

The delivery was much like what he has done so far in camp -- still bringing up his leg high, but more subdued motion overall, and more control. Once he felt comfortable, he said, he felt like he could throw any pitch at any particular time.

That command won the day, but it also earned him some redemption from a pretty long memory.

"Somebody hit about five home runs off of me in these BP sessions," Willis said. "I'm not going to say who [Mike] Hessman is, but I finally got him back today. He took it easy on me today."

Those sessions came during Willis' first Spring Training as a Tiger last year, when Willis was trying to make a good first impression. It was during games that spring that the command issues first surfaced, only to seemingly grow worse as the season went on.

For the most part, Willis has put last season out of his mind. As a gesture, he tipped his cap to the opposing hitters who got him.

"They've got nice cars, too," Willis said.

But he didn't forget about Hessman.

"He hit some missiles," Willis said. "He's hit me out from left, to center, to right -- convincingly. He's a great ballplayer, and he's a talented guy. You guys know what he's capable of. He can hit a ball through the wind as far as wants to. I told him I had to wait for him to get in. He was clean-up today, but then he hopped right back in."

Hessman didn't hit him hard Saturday, nor did others.

He has others on his list, too, but it's all in fun. When Willis is pitching like he did Saturday, it's easy to have fun.

"[It's the] best I've seen him since he's been here. Period," Leyland said.

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

Saturday, February 21, 2009
Leyland on Willis' BP session: 'Best I've seen him'
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- One small step for Dontrelle, one giant leap if he's really back.

Tigers left-hander Dontrelle Willis didn't just look strong while throwing batting practice Saturday at spring training. Strength wasn't his problem last year.

This time, though, he threw strikes. This time he looked like he knew what he was doing. This time he was not a mechanical mess.

"The best I've seen him so far," manager Jim Leyland said.

Meaning this year?

"Meaning both years. I thought he looked very good, very controlled. The ball had life. It's the best groove I've seen him be in."

Willis was controlled, yet animated. After every pitch he would nod his head several times -- as if reminding himself of the reasons a pitch was good if it was good, and telling himself why it was bad if it was bad.

In that sense, there was something almost Fidrych-like about the appearance. Willis didn't talk to the ball, but it sure seemed he was talking to himself.

He didn't look lost on the mound, however, as he often -- even almost always -- did last year. Whether it's his winning form that has returned -- remember, he won 22 games for Florida Marlins in 2006 -- is still to be determined.

But he looks like a major league pitcher again.

At least he did Saturday. Whether that translates into next time, and the time after that, also remains to be seen. But Saturday's session was a forward step, indeed, which could lead to a leap for the Tigers' rotation if Willis has truly worked all the bugs out of his delivery.

When asked if he was having fun, which looked to be the case, Willis said, "Most definitely. It was good, man. I accomplished what I wanted to do, throwing everything in the zone, making them hit everything."

No pronouncements, though, that he's figured everything out.

"You never figure it out," he said. "You just win the day. You win the battle of the day and take it from there."

No declarations that he's made all the right adjustments.

"For today I did," he said. "You live for the day -- and today's the day. I'm not even thinking about last year. It's about today. You get paid to write, I get paid to throw strikes.

"I just wanted to be around the zone consistently."

That's all?

Not quite. There was a little matter of payback.

"I got some payback on somebody," Willis said. "He knows who he is. I got who I wanted to get. Somebody has hit about five home runs in these BPs. He's hit some missiles off me -- to left, center and right, convincingly.

"I'm not going to say who Mike Hessman is, but I finally got my man back for that. He took it easy on me. But I got my payback."

When Willis was Willis, instead of whoever he was last year, it was almost as much fun to watch him pitch as it was for him to be out there on the mound. This time it was fun again, because he was so animated, because he was into it.

What the heck does he say to himself, though? And why does he nod?

"I don't know, to be totally honest with you," Willis replied. "That's just me. I like playing the game. Even when I hung a slider today and (Jeff) Larish hit it hard, I nodded my head because I knew exactly what I did.

"I've told you guys in every interview so far, I'm not that complex. But I'm always going to be positive. Even last year, I still felt positive. I just wasn't getting it done."

All Willis achieved last year was to mystify everyone by how badly he threw -- and by how much and how often he missed the strike zone. But he says he's moved past that.

"I'm here today," he said. "If you dwell on the past, you can't change the future. You have to admit when you didn't get it done, and I just didn't get it done.

"But I'm proud to be back here today, to overcome all that, and see my name on a big-league locker."

You can reach Tom Gage at tom.gage@detnews.com

03/03/09 7:30 PM EST
D-Train gets outing back on track
Tigers lefty happy with effort against Team Venezuela

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis stood on the mound at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday afternoon with a potential mess on his hands. He left with something very positive on which to build.

There stood Willis in the second inning with the bases loaded with Venezuelans, having just walked three of his last four hitters -- including back-to-back walks to force in a run. He had Melvin Mora stepping to the plate, Bobby Abreu on deck and the Tigers trio of Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen waiting after that.

Detroit pitching coach Rick Knapp jogged out to the mound. According to Willis, there was no special message.

"He just said to take a breather, take a step back," Willis said. "Sometimes you just need a time out to get going."

Willis paused and did what he had been trying to do all afternoon: attack the strike zone and let his defense work behind him. He got the play he needed from shortstop Adam Everett, even if he didn't expect it.

"When the ball was off the bat, I thought it was a hit," Willis admitted.

The ground ball was hit hard enough for him to think that. Everett, who had positioned himself well towards the middle, scooped it up and flipped the ball to Placido Polanco at second base for the inning-ending forceout.

If anyone needed a snapshot of the struggles Willis battled last season, Tuesday's second inning was it. What happened after that was an example of what the Tigers believe Willis can do when he's on.

Detroit catcher Gerald Laird told him so: The third inning is exactly what they're looking for.

"When he gets ahead of hitters and he shows guys he's throwing strikes, he's tough to hit," Laird said, "because he gets so much late movement and so much life on his ball and his slider's so good. He just has to go out there and just pitch, be himself. I wasn't here last year, but this guy's got tremendous stuff. He's just got to pitch like he did today in the third inning."

It was a study in contrasts, even if Willis was trying to do the same thing every inning.

"I was happy with all of [the innings]," Willis said. "I felt like I was around the zone. I just didn't get the breaks, the calls, like I wanted to. That comes with the territory. But facing a good team like that, I felt very positive. I felt like I made some good pitches and got out some big-time hitters."

The results were vastly different.

Willis made big plays to escape his first two innings. Before the bases-loaded groundout in the second, there was a pickoff play to end the first inning with runners stranded on the corners. Come the third inning, there were no big plays to make, only big pitches.

After Abreu was retired on a groundout to first, Willis made longtime teammate Cabrera look relatively helpless over a four-pitch stretch. He put back-to-back fastballs over the plate for an 0-2 count, elevated another out of the zone for a ball and then brought in a slider that sent Cabrera swinging in the dirt for strike three.

Ordonez flew out to right on the next pitch.

"Whatever he did that inning, that's it," Laird said. "He just got the sign, went through his delivery and delivered the pitch. It was crisp. He hit his spots. He got ahead and he put guys away. That's what he needs to do."

The fact that he did it at the end of his outing stood in marked contrast to his first Spring Training performance against the Blue Jays last Friday, when he came out of a 30-pitch opening inning out of sync once he went back on the mound for his second inning of work.

Willis missed some spots on key pitches in that outing. The difference between innings Tuesday seemed more a matter of location out of the zone. The pitches that he tried to execute in the second inning seemingly stayed off the outside corner of the plate to right-handed hitters before they came back over in the third inning.

"There's a long way to go," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "I think I saw some strides."

Unlike last Friday, Willis said he was not working much on changing speeds. He focused on fastballs and sliders around the plate with a goal of contact for outs. He didn't lose many hitters with two strikes, like last Friday, but he also fell behind on some hitters the first time through the Venezuelan order. Once Endy Chavez came back up in the second, he battled Willis for nine pitches before drawing a bases-loaded walk.

Willis finished with two runs allowed -- one earned -- on two hits with the three walks and the strikeout. It wasn't the dominant line many would like, but given the offense he was facing, he'll take it. Given what his numbers could've been without two big plays before that third inning, so will the Tigers.

"[Armando] Galarraga [and I] talked about trying to get better and our mechanics getting better over the course of Spring Training, so we can hit the ground running," Willis said. "We've got a long time. This is a big Spring Training. I know a lot of us got caught up in wanting to do well right off the bat, but it's good that things happen here in game situations in this caliber of game.

"I felt like I accomplished a lot of things and I got some very talented hitters out today."

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

03/20/09 12:44 AM ET
Willis tries on old delivery for size
Tigers hurler returns to trademark leg kick during rough outing Thursday

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Dontrelle Willis is still trying to find his old form. In the process, he has gotten back to his old delivery.

The change became noticeable in his third, and final, inning of work. The big leg kick that Tigers instructors had worked to simplify last summer was back, including a little turn back before going toward the plate.

"Because my back's against the wall," Willis said when asked about the return to form. "Gotta step it up another gear, and try to get these guys to swing."

Whether it was a regression mechanically, an intentional move, a sign that the more subdued delivery wasn't comfortable or simply an attempt to change his fortunes, the Tigers noticed.

"He actually changed his delivery a little bit," manager Jim Leyland said. "He was more like the old Dontrelle for a period of time. [Pitching coach] Rick [Knapp] kind of liked that, so we'll see how that plays out."

The way Spring Training has unfolded for Willis, they're willing to try. While the command woes that led to two walks and a hit batter in Willis' three innings last outing seemed lessened Thursday, he gave up seven hits and five runs -- four earned -- in his 2 2/3 innings. His two walks, including one to Braves pitcher Javier Vazquez, raised his total to 10 over 11 2/3 innings this spring, three of them coming in an exhibition against Team Venezuela that does not count in official Spring Training stats.

"We're obviously trying to take steps," Leyland said. "We're trying to get strikes. Tonight, there were more strikes, and a few of them were in the middle of the plate, and that's why they got hit pretty hard. But you have to start with strikes."

In that regard, Willis is taking a positive outlook.

"I felt really good today," Willis said. "I felt real confident. I threw all my pitches for strikes, at least. It was just tough breaks today."

After relieving Jeremy Bonderman following his two-inning performance, Willis appeared on his way to a smooth opening inning. He retired former Tiger Omar Infante on a popout, and he then induced a first-pitch groundout from Kelly Johnson on a fastball that registered 92 mph on the stadium radar gun.

Once Greg Norton smacked a two-out grounder past Willis and through the middle for a single, the inning fell apart. Jeff Francoeur battled Willis for seven pitches before drawing an inning-extending walk, setting up Yunel Escobar's RBI double and a Matt Diaz RBI single. Brent Clevlen tracked down David Ross' hard-hit liner to center to finally end it.

Again, Willis was a pitch away from a third out in the next inning before Infante tripled to deep center field. Willis took on the task of ending the inning himself when he tried to barehand Johnson's hard-hit comebacker, throwing him out at first before he shook his aching hand on the way back to the dugout.

That hand was wrapped in ice as Willis sat in the clubhouse afterwards.

"The ball squared up," Willis said. "I'm not a hockey goalie. The ball squared up, but I defended it and made the play. I'll be fine."

Two more runs and three hits -- one of them a blooper, another a hard-hit double -- followed in the fifth before Willis hit his pitch limit and was replaced by Ryan Perry. The last few hitters saw the old-style Willis leg kick -- including Escobar, who was caught looking at a called third strike.

"He's competing his tail off," Leyland said. "That's always a step in the right direction."

Time is quickly running out to make steps. The Tigers break camp in two weeks, and they have that long to figure out what to make of Willis' performance and what to do if he doesn't have a rotation spot. He's under contract through next season, and he has the right to accept or decline any Minor League assignment.

The way Willis saw it, getting the third out would be a huge step. But if it takes a step back to the old delivery to get there, they're going to try it.

"Instead of trying to get a feel, instead of hoping I threw a strike, today I was just letting it fly and playing the game," Willis said. "It was just a different feel today. Whatever happens, happens. Let it go, let it fly, have fun, and kind of pitch like I know how to pitch instead of just hoping."

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

03/20/09 5:45 PM ET
Knapp advises Willis on delivery
Tigers pitching coach working with left-hander to rebuild mechanics

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Rick Knapp wasn't with the Tigers for Dontrelle Willis' struggles last season. He's here working with Willis now, as he has since January. And when he saw Willis bring back his leg kick against the Braves on Thursday night, the Tigers pitching coach was probably caught by surprise as much as anybody else.

"About the third or fourth pitch of the last inning, there he is -- the shoulder rocked down, the tilt back, and then make the pitch," Knapp said. "He looked more like him."

It was a reversion back to what he used to do. But as Knapp pointed out, it also produced what was probably Willis' best pitch of the night, a fastball on the inside corner for a called third strike to Yunel Escobar.

"I think he reverted back to some things he used to do," Knapp said. "And in my opinion, that's what he needs to get back to. I think if you try to prefabricate your delivery, you lose your instincts. And I think that in the last inning, I saw a guy that looked like the Dontrelle that we saw when he won 22 games, to me."

If the Tigers are going to try to get Willis to what he was in the early part of his career, they're now going to try it with the mechanics with which he's familiar. In that respect, they're going to let Willis be himself, and try to build from there.

Part of the building process started Friday morning, with Willis and Knapp in the bullpen for a refresher session after they watched video of his Thursday outing. Knapp could be seen giving Willis pointers before Willis would try some pitches. What the Tigers will try now is to use some of the pointers they've worked on with him during the spring and incorporate the leg kick.

Especially this late in Spring Training, it's an unexpected move after Tigers instructors spent much of last summer trying to rework his delivery to suit him and his body frame better. At this point, though, it arguably gives them a better chance than if he's fighting the mechanics he had been using since last summer.

"The whole thing is trying to free him up to be who he is," Knapp said. "I think that it's easy to get fabrication-oriented. But I think with a guy like him, he's a flow-delivery type of a guy. And I think that the more pieces that he has moving, the better it is for him."

Still, as manager Jim Leyland put it, "We're at the point where we're trying pretty much anything. I think that's pretty simple. And I think [Willis] feels comfortable with that."

As Willis talked about his outing after Thursday's game, he clearly sounded more comfortable.

"I think [Leyland] was just happy I was letting the ball loose," Willis said Thursday night. "Before, I think he felt like I was trying to get a feel for the strike zone, and [Thursday], he felt like I was just cutting it loose and letting it do what it does. You could tell by the motion and the way I was throwing the ball, instead of before just trying to get a feel instead of hoping. [Thursday,] I was just letting it fly and getting ahead early."

Leyland sounded much like Knapp in his evaluation, pointing out that some pitchers aren't supposed to have a perfect delivery and that focusing too much on mechanics can result in too robotic of a motion. Leyland also noted Willis' competitiveness on the mound, seemingly a nod to his instincts.

Willis will have a chance to use that leg kick for a longer stretch the next time he takes the mound. Since his next turn comes Tuesday, the Tigers' final scheduled off-day of Spring Training, he'll pitch next in a Minor League game. From there, he'll be on track for at least one more outing, possibly two if he pitches in one of the exhibition games at Atlanta on April 3-4 at Turner Field.

Asked how long it could take Willis to get comfortable back in his old motion, Knapp seemed upbeat that it should be a smooth transition.

"To me, I think that in the end, it's like riding a bike," he said. "You're going to do what comes natural. It'll be for him like riding a bike."

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

I would guess Dontrell will begin the season in Toledo, working on returning to his old form.... undoing the stuff they tried to do in Lakeland.. which clearly did not work.

Willis needs to impress in hurry

BY JON PAUL MOROSI • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • March 24, 2009

FT. MYERS, Fla. -- This morning, Dontrelle Willis is scheduled to face hitters from his organization. A small group of people will be watching. An even smaller group will track what happens with pen and paper.

As a rule, intrasquad games are not very important. But this one could be. Any casual Tigers fan knows why.

Willis, owed $22 million over this season and next, has had another perplexing spring. In five appearances, he has yet to demonstrate that he deserves to be on the Opening Day roster. The Tigers hope that will change starting today. Willis, though, is running out of time.

With the blessing of pitching coach Rick Knapp, Willis likely will continue pitching with the new-old delivery he used in the last inning of his most recent outing. He brought back the high kick in his right leg, which helped him gain notoriety while with the Florida Marlins.

"Rick Knapp has been working with him in the bullpen, talking with him about some things -- that's why Rick Knapp's the pitching coach," manager Jim Leyland said. "I'm staying away from it."

When asked Monday if he was encouraged by the mechanical change, president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said, "Dontrelle needs to throw strikes. We still have some decisions to make. He has to throw strikes."

Dombrowski added that he will evaluate what happens today as if Willis were pitching against an opposing team in game conditions.

The Tigers' first preference would be for Willis to show sudden progress over the next two weeks and earn a spot on the team -- perhaps as a long reliever.

Team officials would need to ask Willis' permission to send him to the minors. Dombrowski would not say whether he has had a conversation with Willis or his representatives about that possibility.

Willis' agent, Matt Sosnick, said in an e-mail: "I'm not prepared to discuss anything about DW at this time. DW is working as hard as he can to contribute to the Tigers' success this season."

If the Tigers decide Willis doesn't belong on the team, owner Mike Ilitch likely would OK his release, regardless of the investment.

Ilitch authorized the release of infielder Damion Easley near the end of spring training in 2003, when $14.3 million remained on his contract. At the time, that was a record amount owed to a player at the time of his release.

That distinction now belongs to right-hander Russ Ortiz. The Arizona Diamondbacks released him in 2006 when roughly $22 million remained on his contract. Three years later, the Tigers hope Willis will help them avoid a similar scenario.

GO D-Train

03/29/09 1:43 PM ET
Willis to focus on health
Doctors start Tigers lefty on a course of treatment

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The long-speculated decision on Dontrelle Willis ended up being an unexpected trip to the disabled list. The Tigers placed the former 22-game winner on the 15-day DL Sunday morning with anxiety disorder.

The diagnosis, Willis said, came after team doctors and specialists consulted with the once dominant starter who, lately, has turned struggling pitcher. Follow-up blood tests a couple weeks ago from those initially conducted at the start of camp came up with a reason for concern earlier in the week, Willis said.

"They didn't like what they saw in the blood [tests]," Willis said. "They had a very concerned look on their faces."

Willis said doctors told him that the condition is easily treatable. He'll start on a course of treatment immediately, though it wasn't immediately known whether he'd stay back in Florida, go back to Detroit, or go home.

Team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski was reluctant to comment on specifics, citing medical privacy laws.

"It's been something that our doctors have discovered," Dombrowski said, "and we've been working on it for a while to try to make sure exactly what this is. The doctors discovered that."

Thus ended the Spring Training effort from Willis to try to regain his old form after control problems turned his 2008 season into a major disappointment. He began last year in the rotation, but went on the DL after two starts with a hyperextended right knee that cost two months. Once he returned from the DL, his continued control woes resulted in a trip to the Minor Leagues, where he spent most of the summer working with coaches and instructors on rebuilding his delivery to something more consistent. He returned to the Majors in September to make three starts.

Willis finished the season with an 0-2 record and 9.38 ERA, walking 35 batters, allowing 18 hits and getting 18 strikeouts in 24 innings.

His early work in Spring Training in January and February created some improved command and, in turn, some hope that he could rebound to be an effective Major League hurler. Once Spring Training games began, however, he had mixed results in his first couple starts and started to battle with his command again. He tried going back to his old delivery with a high leg kick.

Willis last pitched in an intrasquad game last Tuesday, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits, a walk and five strikeouts against a group of Class A and Double-A hitters. He had given up 13 earned runs on 19 hits over 11 2/3 innings in five appearances before that, including an exhibition against Team Venezuela.

"He needed to throw strikes on a more consistent basis, which he did his last outing," Dombrowski said. "But he also has to throw strikes when he really lets loose, too. I think at times, you see the arm strength. At times, you see the breaking ball. But he hasn't shown the consistency that he can do it."

Manager Jim Leyland, teammates and coaches noted in recent days how hard Willis was competing, trying to get his game back in form. Still, Willis was not expected to make the roster.

"We want Dontrelle Willis to pitch very successfully with the Detroit Tigers," Leyland said. "And whatever it takes to get him to that point, it's far beyond my understanding. I'm a baseball manager, and that's what I deal with. I want more than anything for Dontrelle Willis to be successful on the field for the Detroit Tigers. That has been a problem for him to this point, needless to say."

With trade options nonexistent, that would've left the Tigers with two choices. They could've asked him to accept another Minor League option, which he could've declined to become a free agent, orthey could've released him. Either way, they're responsible for the $22 million remaining on his contract through 2010.

Dombrowski pointed out that the Tigers consulted with the Commissioner's Office before making the move. He said he had not dealt with a player with this condition until now in his career as a GM.

"In order to place somebody on the disabled list, it has to be an accepted medical condition, or the Commissioner's Office would not accept it," Dombrowski said. "And they have accepted this."

Willis also could've challenged the move if he didn't agree with the findings. He accepted the decision after discussions with team officials as well as the doctors.

"I'm concerned," Willis said, "and I'm not overruling it."

Several Major League players have gone on the disabled list with conditions grouped under anxiety disorders. Perhaps the best-known case in recent years is Royals starter Zack Greinke, who abruptly left Spring Training in 2006 and eventually went on the DL with what was diagnosed as social anxiety disorder. He missed most of the season before returning late in the year, but has recovered to become a top young starter in the American League. Pete Harnisch and Jim Eisenreich are also listed among the better-known baseball players with anxiety disorders.

Willis didn't know many specifics about the course of treatment, but said he focused on recovery for his life first and foremost.

"It's unfortunate," Willis said, "but I'm just more concerned about my health. Don't get me wrong, I wish the best for this ballclub, and I love the game of baseball, and I want to be around for a long time. But you have to be honest with yourself. If your health's not right, you have to take care of it yourself."

Willis drew a distinction between anxiety disorder and other conditions, such as depression.

"I'm never depressed," Willis said. "I've always been a high-energy guy. This is something totally different. I've always been a guy that's been upbeat, but they see something totally different. This isn't something where I'm too amped-up and I don't know where I'm at, running sprints up and down the parking lot. This is something where they see something in my blood they don't like.

"I'm not crazy. My teammates might think I'm crazy, but this is not something like that. This is something totally different that I'm concerned about. This is something in my blood."

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

This does not surprise me. With all the pressure he has been under with the Tigers, and his prior downturn with the Marlins, I don't doubt he does not have a PHYSICAL CONDITION, that has the side effect of anxiety disorder.

Endocrine system problems come to mind, as well as diabetes. I have had all sorts of diagnosis for my physical problems... which led to bi-polor or depression symptoms. Until I finally found a DR. who did the PROPER blood tests, they had no idea what was going on... I even had a DR., who only did minor tests, finally tell me my condition was because I hated Florida! That was bullcrap! I loved it there. Finally they did a blood test for my pituitary gland, and found it was not functioning. DOCTORS NOW TRACE IT BACK TO A CONCUSSION when I was 15! If they had not found it when they did, I would be DEAD TODAY!

I read the comments left by people on MLB, attached to the above article, and several feel this is a crap diagnosis, and that the Tigers are covering up a drug abuse problem with Dontrelle. Only time will reveal the truth, but don't attack the poor guy because "blood tests don't reveal anxiety disorder." Remember, other problems, that blood tests can reveal, can have the byproduct of anxiety, so it is probably two-pronged!!! A physical problem leading to anxiety.

Good luck Dontrelle, my God guide the doctors working on your problem!

Willis takes major step in comeback
Lefty pitcher gets no-decision in game against Twins

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

05/14/09 2:34 AM ET

MINNEAPOLIS -- Well before Dontrelle Willis took the mound for his Major League return Wednesday night, Tigers manager Jim Leyland laid out a simple goal, the same he has for any pitcher: Give the team a chance to win.

As Willis left with two outs the fifth, having allowed four runs on eight hits, he had given the Tigers a shot at taking this game -- the first of many shots, it turned out. He just couldn't have imagined what kind of game it would end up being.

"I kind of feel like I pitched three days ago," Willis said after Joe Crede's 13th-inning grand slam sent the Tigers to a 14-10 loss. "That's how long the game went today."

Willis was long gone before most of this game's twists and turns, but his work kept the game close. Considering Justin Morneau's two-run homer put the Twins up in the first inning, it had the chance to become lopsided early.

Willis began the season on the disabled list with anxiety disorder, but has said his main issue was simply not pitching well -- both during his wild 2008 season and in Spring Training. When he rejoined the Tigers, he said his biggest lesson from doctors and club officials was learning to go one pitch at a time and put bad pitches behind him. His best example, he said, came after giving up a home run.

Morneau's two-out drive to center field gave him that early test.

"That's the only pitch that I really want back," Willis said of his 93-mph fastball that wandered over the plate, "and I really don't want it back."

Last year, his outing probably would've fallen apart after that in a struggle to reclaim the strike zone. On Wednesday, he went back to his mix of speeds, retiring Michael Cuddyer to end the first inning, then pitching a scoreless second.

"It happened in the first," Willis said. "I wasn't just going to throw in the towel. We still have a lot of ballgame. You still can give our team confidence that we can get back in the ballgame. As soon as the other guy got in trouble, we're still in the ballgame.

"I think it's contagious as far as continuing to battle. If the team sees you battling, then everybody goes and follows suit."

Offensively, they eventually came around. Defensively, it took a while, but the Tigers began to respond to Willis' effort.

Willis' quick reactions snared Mike Redmond's liner back up the middle with two on and nobody out in the first, starting a rally-killing double play. After three straight hits led to another run in the third on Joe Mauer's single, Willis hit one corner after another to get an inning-ending double play.

"There was a point when I looked over at [shortstop] Adam [Everett]," third baseman Brandon Inge said, "and I said, 'He's back. It looks like he's back now.' I remember catching him last year, and pitch by pitch, if you take away the location, he has the movement on it. He has the velocity, and he definitely has the ability to be a dominant pitcher. It's just he wasn't throwing strikes last year. That's the only thing."

Willis' two walks both came on close full-count pitches, and he threw 53 of his 87 pitches for strikes. He had two other three-ball counts on a night when the Twins were poised to wait him out to hit the strike zone.

"I was actually pleased," Leyland said. "I thought he kept himself together pretty good. He was around the plate pretty good. He didn't seem to get rattled at all.

"We might need to tweak a couple things, but overall, I was pleased."

Though Willis topped 100 pitches in both of his rehab outings at Triple-A Toledo, the Tigers did not want to go that deep with him on this night. Leyland pulled him for Zach Miner once Willis retired Justin Morneau for the second out of the fifth, bringing up a string of five straight right-handed hitters.

"I wish I could've went deeper," Willis said, "but the more I pitch, hopefully I'll earn the confidence of Skip to let me go out there and continue to battle, especially on a night like this that nobody could've predicted."

That said, after Miner retired Joe Crede to end the fifth-inning threat, Willis greeted Miner two steps in front of the dugout with a hug. Once Inge homered in the next inning to put Detroit in front, Willis was left with a no-decision.

He'll take that and go into his next start. His rotation spot comes up next Tuesday against Texas, and he isn't looking at this as the end of his comeback.

"It ain't a milestone," Willis said. "This is where I want to be."

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

Willis can't harness wildness in loss
Lefty allows five runs on no hits, five walks in 2 1/3 innings

By Kyle Austin / MLB.com

06/04/09 6:11 PM ET

Box >

DETROIT -- Dontrelle Willis stood on the mound, his frustration mounting as pitch after pitch missed the strike zone.

The Tigers starter had hit a wall in the third inning of Thursday's game against the Red Sox. After starting the inning by hitting Jacoby Ellsbury, Willis walked four batters and allowed two runs to score, before he was removed from his shortest outing of the year. The Red Sox scored six runs in that inning, enough for a 6-3 win and a series sweep.

Willis (1-3) spent the first part of the year on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder diagnosed during Spring Training. Since rejoining the Tigers on May 13, he said he has been focusing on forgetting the previous pitch. He had been relatively successful with that approach, compiling two quality starts in four outings. But Thursday's game, Willis said, marked the first time this year he was unable to do that.

"This is the first time I was really flustered on the mound," Willis said. "I threw some good pitches, didn't get the calls, and I let that get the best of me today."

As Willis' struggles continued on the mound, Tigers manager Jim Leyland stood in the dugout feeling helpless, hoping to see strikes. But as his starter started spiraling -- a four-pitch and two-five pitch walks to let two runs score -- Leyland walked out and took the ball from Willis, who walked back to the dugout punching his glove and talking to himself.

When Leyland walked back to the dugout a few seconds later, he was talking, too. Only his words were directed at home-plate umpire Jeff Nelson, and concerned balls and strikes. Nelson quickly ejected Leyland, who said after the game that his actions were "out of line."

"It appeared that I was frustrated, and maybe I was frustrated for Dontrelle," Leyland said. "You want it so bad for a guy, and everyone else wants it for him and I overreacted."

Willis finished the game with no hits, five earned runs and five walks allowed. The last pitcher to throw at least two innings and allow five runs without a hit was Sandy Koufax on June 3, 1958. Given his outing, Willis appreciated his manager's willingness to fight for him.

"He continues to believe in me, and he told me that," Willis said. "... I kind of like it, seeing that fire."

After the teams batted out nine runs in the second and third innings, Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield and the two bullpens kept the scoring at bay through the rest of the afternoon. Wakefield (7-3) finished with 6 2/3 innings pitched, three earned runs, three strikeouts and no walks. Tigers pitchers combined for nine walks, the most the staff has issued this season, as the team was swept at Comerica Park for the first time this year.

First baseman Miguel Cabrera left the game after the top of the second inning with a pulled left hamstring. Cabrera said he suffered the injury when he hit a single to left field, but he was able to stay in the game and score the team's first run before being taken out. He is listed as day-to-day, and Cabrera hopes to play in Friday's game against the Angels.

"Right now I feel better," Cabrera said after the game. "We'll see how I feel tomorrow. Hopefully I can play tomorrow."

Reliever Zach Miner also left the game with a cramp in his right calf. He said the injury was minor and that he doesn't expect to miss any time.

Thursday's game against the Red Sox (32-22) marked the first time in team history that the Tigers (28-24) were involved in a situation involving instant replay. It happened when Jeff Larish hit a ball right at the right-field foul pole in the sixth inning. First-base umpire Mark Carlson ruled the ball foul. Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon came out to argue the call, and the umpires retreated to the umpires' room to look at the replay.

When they came back out, crew chief Tim Tschida signaled that the ball had been foul. Raburn grounded into a double play on the ensuing pitch. Leyland, who watched the replay from his office after being ejected, said the correct call was made.

The offense continued its struggles, managing no runs on seven hits throughout the last seven innings. But after the game, Willis blamed himself -- and his lack of composure on the mound -- as the reason for his team's third straight loss.

"I just got frustrated," Willis said. "That was the first time I ever had a call that didn't go my way, and I let it get to me. I can't do that."

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

D-Train's command woes
BECK'S BLOG

According to research on baseball-reference.com, Dontrelle Willis is the first Major League pitcher to allow at least five runs without a hit since then-Angel Mark Hutton on Aug. 20, 1995. He walked four batters, hit another one, then watched Anaheim's bullpen clear the bases.

The last pitcher to reach that statistical anomaly while still pitching at least two innings in a game? Try the great Sandy Koufax, who did it on June 3, 1958.

* Posted on June 4, 2009 at 3:49 PM

Willis to miss next scheduled start
Leyland yet to name starting pitcher for Saturday

By B.J. Rains / MLB.com

06/16/09 8:04 PM ET

ST. LOUIS -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced on Tuesday that struggling lefty Dontrelle Willis will not make his scheduled start on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, but didn't say who would take his place or when Willis would pitch next.

Speaking before the first game of a three-game set in St. Louis, the Tigers' first trip back to Busch Stadium since losing the 2006 World Series in five games to the Cardinals, Leyland gave few details about the move.

"Dontrelle will not pitch Saturday," Leyland said. "And that's the end of the conversation. There's no further information that goes along with that. He will not pitch Saturday. No more questions about that."

Willis, who is 1-4 with a 7.49 ERA in seven starts since being activated from the disabled list on May 13th, lasted only 3 2/3 innings on Sunday against the Pirates, when he walked eight and gave up six runs on six hits.

Leyland said the pitching rotation had been planned through the weekend, but wouldn't name Saturday's starter when asked.

"No," Leyland said. "Because I can't."

The Tigers could move Willis to the bullpen or get his consent to send him back to the Minor Leagues to try and work out his struggles. A third and less likely option would be to release him.

Zach Miner appears to be the likely candidate to start in Willis' spot on Saturday if the Tigers don't call up a starter from Triple-A. Miner has a 0.79 ERA in his past five appearances, giving up one run in 11 1/3 innings, and Leyland has spoken well about him in recent days.

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

Release Willis!

D- Train is derailed again

Willis continues to work out in Triple-A
Left-hander set to throw third simulated game with Toledo

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

07/23/09 2:28 PM ET

DETROIT -- While the Tigers are at home through the weekend trying to strengthen their postseason hopes, Dontrelle Willis continues to work in Toledo, hoping to get back before the end of the regular season.

Back on the 15-day disabled list with an anxiety disorder for the second time this season, Willis sounds like someone trying to make a positive out of a tough situation.

"When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade," Willis said Monday from Fifth Third Field.

Willis is scheduled to throw a simulated game this week at Fifth Third Field, his third such effort since going down to Toledo earlier in the month. This one is expected to stretch him out to around 90 pitches.

Willis is working with Mud Hens pitching coach A.J. Sager on his mechanics. The focus, Willis said, is on keeping his arm out in front on his delivery, a reinforcement aimed at getting better consistency on his pitches. His arm, he said, feels fine. Aside from that, he's working out under the watch of strength coach Jovon Hubbard.

The other side of Willis' work, is off the field, and he's working on that outside of the Hens.

As for why he's working out in Toledo, even when the Tigers are in Detroit, president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said in an e-mail earlier this month that the recommendation of experts was for him to do his work there. Not only has he been working in Toledo during the Hens' homestand, but he traveled with the team to Buffalo last weekend to keep on working with the team.

Other than that, the Tigers haven't said much about Willis' work, partly out of medical privacy reasons, and probably out of their reluctance to create expectations after the first effort to bring back Willis from his DL stint worked only briefly. Willis said Monday he has no idea what the timetable would be on any possible Minor League rehab stint.

Willis could pitch on a rehab stint for up to 30 days. That would conceivably allow the Tigers to send out Willis on rehab in August, then potentially activate him from the DL when rosters expand in September.

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

I dunno, sounds safer just to let him go...

He has been taking lots of batting practice, according to other news sources. Maybe he even realizes he may need to be an outfielder or infielder. He could be the bat we need.

That would work!

Rick Ankiel...

D-Train scratched from rehab start
BECK'S BLOG
Posted on August 17, 2009 at 12:11 PM

Just found out from Tigers that Dontrelle Willis was pushed back from his rehab start tonight for Triple-A Toledo with soreness in his hip. He'll instead start Wednesday for the Mud Hens at Columbus.

UPDATE @ 6pm: Ruddy Lugo will start in Willis' place Monday night. Chris Lambert will make his Mud Hens return Tuesday.

I STILL SAY MAKE HIM AN INFIELDER OR OUTFIELDER.

Or a DH. Just do something to make him worth that cash.