Dontrelle Willis' return to Tigers is uncertain after pitcher tweaks knee
BY JOHN LOWE
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
May 5, 2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/SPORTS02/8050...63/1050
MINNEAPOLIS -- Dontrelle Willis threw a bullpen session in the Metrodome on
Sunday morning. It appeared the Tigers' left-hander was on course for his
second rehab start, Wednesday night in Toledo.
But a few hours later, the club announced that Willis had "tweaked his
knee" while fielding a grounder in his first rehab start for Triple-A Friday
night and that his rehab stint with Toledo is now on hold.
Willis said later Sunday he hadn't reported any new trouble with the knee to
the club following Friday's game.
"They (team officials) want to make sure everything is OK, and they don't
want me to hurt myself (worse) and be out three months," Willis said. "It's
one of those nagging injuries, I guess. ... It (the knee) feels sore from
time to time. ... I didn't tell them I couldn't pitch again (Wednesday).
"They're just concerned. They don't want me to reinjure my leg on a rehab
assignment. Some days it (the leg) feels good, and some days it doesn't."
Instead of making another rehab start for Toledo on Wednesday, Willis is due
to throw on the side at Comerica Park on Friday or Saturday.
When he made the rehab start Friday, Willis was on course to possibly return
to the Tigers rotation next week.
Now his return is uncertain. And club officials will get to wait longer
before they decide whom to take out of the five-man rotation to make room
for him.
Willis' replacement, right-hander Armando Galarraga, has made three quality
starts in four appearances since he replaced Willis. He became the first
Tigers pitcher to make three quality starts this season. (Kenny Rogers made
his third on Sunday.)
Willis hyperextended the right knee in the first inning of his second
regular-season Tigers start. His appearance Friday night with Toledo marked
his first game in the three weeks since he suffered the injury.
Willis pitched 4 2/3 innings on Friday, essentially throwing the number of
pitches the Tigers had allotted for him. He pleased Tigers manager Jim
Leyland by shedding his control troubles and not walking anyone.
In their World Series season of 2006, the Tigers won 29 games in which they
scored four runs or fewer.This season, they haven't won any games in which
they've scored four runs or fewer.
They're 0-15 this season when they score four runs or fewer. They're still
looking for their first low-scoring win.
In all but one of those 15 losses with four runs or fewer, the Tigers have
allowed at least four runs. So it's not like the hitters have cost the
pitchers a lot of low-scoring wins they could have had.
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