The @official_tigers tweet reports
Willis will be designated for assignment tomorrow to make room for Scherzer to be recalled. #mlb
Dontrelle Willis had an ERA of 4.98 with the Tigers through nine games (eight starts) but continued to struggle with the strike zone. He walked 6.85 per nine innings this year, and his month of May was just abysmal.
Max Scherzer allowed four hits and one run in 15 innings with Triple-A Toledo. He struck out 17 and walked two. Before being demoted to work on things, he struggled with the Tigers and had a 7.29 ERA through eight starts.
Update -- GM Dave Dombrowski talks:
- Dombrowski said he did not believe Willis would accept a minor-league option and that the Tigers have 10 days to try to trade him.
- The move was made because the Tigers felt like Armando Galarraga was pitching pretty well in Toledo and one of his appearances in Detroit and would be the better option going forward. Willis had not been pitching quite as well lately.
- Willis didn't say very much upon hearing the news.
- The Tigers' staff met to make a decision today.
- Dombrowski said "We just weren't seeing the same progress were during the spring. At times you see it, but just not on a consistent basis. You don't want to do it, but it's a situation where we just felt to give us the best opportunity to win we're going to go in a different direction at this time."
- "He has had trouble throwing strikes on a consistent basis. His ball-to-strike ratio just has not been very good. At times I think it's been a little bit better, but I think consistently when he's thrown the ball over the plate. But at times when he's thrown the ball over the plate he's backed off even yesterday at times. His fastballs weren't there. I think really it comes down to his ability to throw the ball over the plate on a consistent basis."
And from Leyland:
- "I applaud his efforts since we had him. It's been kind of a long road back. We felt the consistency wasn't there. We didn't speculate at this time that it was going to be there. I think the uncertainty of not knowing who we were going to get was a key factor. But I certainly applaud all the effort that he made."
- "It's sad, really."
- "I know how hard he worked. I know some of the stuff he went through to try to get back. But it just didn't work out, so it's sad."