Jeremy Bonderman talks about his bad day on the mound

Jeremy Bonderman "just didn't have it," catcher Gerald Laird said.

This is a contention Bonderman agrees with after giving up six runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Blue Jays on Sunday. He allowed six hits, including a grand slam, and a walk.

Bonderman said he realizes he does not have a guaranteed spot in the rotation, so he is going to have to go out to earn it and he can't pitch like that and expect to get the job.

As for what was actually wrong, he told MLB.com's Jason Beck:

"I was just out there trying to make sure my arm was in the right [slot], just thinking too much. When I started falling behind guys, I tried to do too much. Then, when I had to throw strikes, they were right down the middle."

On the other hand Laird said, "Nate (Robertson) looked great." Unable to fight the urge to make a rhyme out of Robertson's name like the rest of us, I see.

"Nate threw the ball as well as he has since I've been here," said catcher Gerald Laird, who came to the Tigers last season. "Nate looked great. There was not a pitch where he missed his location, and he was throwing with a lot of confidence."

(quoted by MLive's Steve Kornacki)

Robertson pitched three scoreless innings and allowed just one baserunners.

In other news:

• Casey Fien: 'I lead the league in physicals'. Beck checked in on Fien, who is now with the Blue Jays after three days with the Red Sox organization

• In division news, Minnesota closer Joe Nathan is returning to the Twin Cities to have some tests on his repaired elbow per FoxSports.com. Also the Twins extended the contract of Nick Blackburn.
• Royals third baseman Alex Gordon broke his thumb and will be out 3-4 weeks.
• Lee of Tiger Tales reports from the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference (Part 1) (Part 2)
• Polar Bear?! Kornacki wrote about Ryan Strieby, but I struggled to get past Strieby's nickname: Polar Bear!
• Last, and certainly not least: Gage's blog: Leyland talks about Strieby, and we seem to have a closet English major on the team.

Gage wrote:

Rick Porcello, what do you think of being called a veteran at 21 by 18-year-old Jacob Turner? "He's the only here to whom I am one."