The Tigers have some roster decisions looming with the imminent return of Jeremy Bonderman and Marcus Thames. In both cases there aren’t clear cut performance based decisions on who gets sent down so things like options come into play. There has been some confusion about the option status and service time of various players so let’s clear that up.
MLB roster rules are never simple and chuck full of exceptions. While salary data and service time data is generally findable, options are harder to find and often requires combing through transaction lists. Fortunately for Tigers fans Eddie Bajek compiled this information during the offseason.
Sometimes the game story is a lot more story than game. Tonight is one of those nights as Dontrelle Willis found something. He found his command. He found his confidence. He found himself with his very first Tigers win.
Willis looked like a different pitcher tonight. He had control in his Twins start, but against the Rangers he had command. He worked both sides of the plate to both lefties and righties. He was moving in and out, up and down and working the edges of the zone. He had a very good hitting team off balance. While he did get some help from his defense on some hard hit balls, he had more than his share of dribblers and routine grounders as well.
Pretty much everyone has beat me to this, but I still feel I should offer up something about Dontrelle Willis’s first start of the year. There are a couple ways to approach the assessment.
You can look at a final line that included 10 hits and 2 walks in just under 5 innings and come away unimpressed or even discouraged. Especially when you look at the fact he only notched one swing and a miss.
Or you can look at the start in the context of last year when the strike zone proved to be a foreign land to Willis. That he only walked 2 in his time on the mound could be a step forward. And even when he missed the zone, he missed by reasonable amounts, like you’d see in a regular start.
Figure 1 Pitch Location
I’m encouraged in that I don’t see him pitching scared. He came inside to both lefties and righties. I don’t know if that is by design or a lack of control in the strike zone, but the absence of unintentional pitch-outs is encouraging.
To make room for Dontrelle Willis the Tigers are sending out Juan Rincon. Rincon pitched his way onto the team with a very good spring, but with a rough start to the season the Tigers deemed him most expendable. Brandon Lyon has been just as bad, but he’s owed more, and frankly has been better in recent years than Rincon and therefore has a better chance of contributing.
Given the fact that Ryan Perry threw 42 pitches tonight, I thought that was a signal that he was going to be optioned down. Instead he just won’t be available for a couple nights.
Dontrelle Willis has a start scheduled for next Wednesday against the Twins. This will end his stint on the DL due to anxiety disorder. I don’t really know what to expect from Willis, but as Jim Leyland said:
“I think that’s good. I think it’s time to find out. The report is that he’s throwing pretty much around the plate all the time, 89-93 (mph) with his fastball, throwing some breaking balls, some change-ups, using all his pitches.
“I think it’s a huge thing for us, definitely. I’m all for finding out. I’m hoping he’s really good. Having a left-hander in the rotation would be really good for us.
“Regardless, it’s time to find out.”
Indeed it is.
Zach Miner is the one getting bumped from the rotation and he will be in the bullpen. No announcement has been made on who will head off the 25 man roster, and that decision likely won’t come until closer to the start.
Toledo 1 Pawtucket 2
Dontrelle Willis pitched deep into this game going 7.2 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks with 4 K’s. He threw 118 pitches, 74 for strikes. In his other rehab starts he was getting numerous groundball outs, but this time he had 11 air outs versus 8 ground outs. Willis can remain on a rehab assignment until May 20th. Brent Clevlen and Ryan Roberson doubled for the Hens offense.
Erie – PPD, 3 days in a row.
Dunedin 6 Lakeland 4 (10 inn)
Andy Dirks went 3 for 3 with a double and a walk. Kody Kaiser was 2 for 4 with a homer and a walk. Lauren Gagnier fanned 6 and walked 1 allowing 4 runs on 5 hits in 6.1 innings. Robbie Weinhardt allowed his first runs of the season, giving up 2 on 4 hits in 1.1 innings taking the loss.
Beloit 0 West Michigan 3
Ben Guez doubled and walked. Gustavo Nunez had 2 hits. Matt Hoffman fanned 6, walked 2, and allowed 4 hits in 7 shut out innings.
Louisville 10 Toledo 3
Clete Thomas went 2 for 4 with a walk. Dusty Ryan homered and walked. Scott Drucker allwoed 7 runs on 10 hits including 3 homers in 4 innings. Fu Te Ni walked 2, but also struck out 2 in 2 innings. Clay Rapada allowed 2 runs on 3 hits with 2 K’s in his inning of work. Casey Fien allowed 2 hits and a walk in his inning.
Harrisburg 4 Erie 8
Dontrelle Willis was the high profile starter in this one. Willis struck out 6 and walked 3 in his 6 innings with 2 runs on 3 hits. Overall, it was another encouraging outing. Willis did an interview prior to the game (h/t Kurt) and you can’t help but pulling for him. Cody Satterwhite fanned 4 in 2.2 innings but also walked 3 and allowed 2 hits. Brennan Boesch had 2 doubles and a homer. Ryan Strieby also homered.
Lakeland 3 Daytona 5
Mike Bertram and Andy Dirks both doubled and singled. Lauren Gagnier allowed 5 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings due in large part to 2 homers.
Lansing 1 West Michigan 3
Bryan Pounds homered and doubled. Jordan Lennerton went 3 for 3. Casey Crosby fanned 3 and walked 2 in 5 shut out innings.
Lansing 2 West Michigan 4
Bryan Pounds and Jordan Lennerton had the 2 multi hit games. Matt Hoffman went 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, no walks, and 6 K’s.
Indianapolis 13 Toledo 10
Joel Zumaya is probably one outing away from rejoining the team. He pitched a scoreless inning fanning 2. Scott Drucker was shelled for 7 runs allowing 9 baserunners in 4.1 innings. Fu Te Ni didn’t fare better with 4 runs on 5 hits and a walk in 2.2 innings. Mike Hessman hit a grand slam and Dusty Ryan hit a 3 run homer. Brent Dlugach had 3 hits and Clete Thomas and Ryan Robertson added 2 apiece.
Erie – suspended in the 3rd inning
Willis pitches against Clearwater - cr Roger DeWitt
Clearwater 4 Lakeland 0
Dontrelle Willis went 7 innings, which by itself should tell you something. He allowed 4 runs on 8 hits with 2 K’s and no walks. He was perfect through the first 3 innings and recorded 16 ground ball outs. Michael Bertram went 2 for 2 with 2 walks.
West Michigan 5 Fort Wayne 2
Brandon Douglas was a homer short of the cycle. Jordan Newton added 2 hits. Casey Crosby pitched a no hitter for 3 innings, but he walked 6 in that time, but he also fanned 5.
Joel Zumaya is taking his rehab up I-75 to Toledo and Dontrelle Willis will join up with Lakeland next week.
Zumaya hasn’t been particularly effective or accurate in his 2 appearances in Lakeland, and I’m a little surprised he’s moving up so soon. I thought they would have at least wanted him to throw on back to back days.
Willis hasn’t been anywhere on the field, but he’ll take those first potential steps back on Tuesday.
The Tigers announced three more roster moves today. Not surprisingly Joel Zumaya will start the season on the DL as he tries to overcome his shoulder maladies. A little more surprising is that Dontrelle Willis will be joining him. The official reason is “anxiety disorder.”
Clearly the team thinks that Dontrelle’s problem is mental which presumably means they still believe in his pitching ability. He worked with a performance coach during his Lakeland sabbatical last season, but the problems seem to be recurring. The reports are glowing when he pitches in camp or minor league games, but the results aren’t appearing in regular exhibition events.
This seemingly means that Willis can stay on the DL indefinitely. The trick is that there are limits to rehab assignments. So while he can be on the DL to work through these issues, he has limited time to demonstrate a recovery.
This is a very sad story for Willis and I wish him the best.
The third and least notable move is Kyle Bloom was returned to the Pittsburgh Pirates. That leaves 35 players in camp.
The news from Lakeland today is that Joel Zumaya and Jeremy Bonderman may not be ready by Opening Day. The Zumaya news isn’t at all surprising. The Bonderman news isn’t especially surprising, but a little concerning as he looks to regain velocity. But that’s not all…
There is of course the Nate Robertson thumb injury which thankfully doesn’t sound too serious. Still, it’s not a lock that he’ll make his next scheduled turn.
And option Rick Porcello hasn’t been quite as dazzling since the finger injury. He’s struggled somewhat with his control against the Yankees on Saturday. Tonight he walked 3 and allowed 3 hits in 2.1 innings against Tampa.
This spring has seen a lot of ups and downs from the various members of the rotation. Verlander was working on stuff and all over the place before finding his groove. Robertson was washed up and done before turning in back to back nice outings before the thumb injury. Porcello was the best pitcher in camp before his finger injury. Zach Miner was relegated to the bullpen before he seemed to figure things out. Who knows what will happen over the next week. Maybe Dontrelle Willis and his new leg kick will give us reason for hope.
Robertson pitches Friday in Lakeland - cr Roger DeWitt
I really wish there were other stories in this year’s camp, but aside from the fact that 4 of the team’s 5 most prominent offensive forces are on the other side of the country, it comes down to the battle for the rotation.
Rick Porcello gets as big of a stage as you can during spring training pitching in Tampa against the Yankees. It’s his first start since March 9th as he’s been sidelined with a minor finger injury.
Nate Robertson pitched wonderfully yesterday throwing 4 scoreless innings and only allowing 2 hits while fanning 5. That comes on the heels of 3 scoreless innings his last time out.
Dontrelle Willis is going back to his old wind-up with the exaggerated leg kick. He demo’d it in his third inning of work on Thursday night and Rick Knapp is working with him to refine it. Why not, nothing else is working says Jim Leyland:
“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.”
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