Tigers Report: Notes, Quotes

--RHP Joel Zumaya has no structural damage in his surgically repaired right elbow, Dr. James Andrews said after examining him in Birmingham, Ala., but he won't be able to throw for at least another week. Zumaya hasn't pitched since Feb. 27. He had a screw inserted last year to keep the tip of his right elbow in place. The bone came loose after he threw a pitch last season and put him out the rest of the year.

--LHP Daniel Schlereth suffered a left hamstring strain Feb. 28 that would have put him on the disabled list had the injury occurred during the regular season. "If it was during the season, it would probably the 15-day DL, then back (in action) at the end of it," trainer Kevin Rand said. "That's the way it's looking right now." Said Schlereth: "I hope that's the case But like I said, I have nothing to compare it to. The only thing I've ever hurt was my arm, and that was in high school." Schlereth is being counted on to be Detroit's primary left-handed late-inning reliever.

--LHP Andy Oliver is positioning himself to be the first pitcher the Tigers bring up from the minors should something happen to one of their starters during the season. Oliver was 0-4 in a five-start audition with Detroit last summer, but the important thing to the rookie was learning he needed to sharpen his slider and changeup to succeed. It appears in his early spring outings he has been able to do that. "Having confidence in my slider and not trying to power it in there was important," Oliver said. "That gave the pitch more depth. I now feel confident enough to use it in any spot." He's also begun throwing a two-seam fastball. "I'm not surprised by how quickly he's taken to the two-seamer," bullpen coach Jeff Jones said. "He's a good athlete with good feel for what he's doing. And he threw some really good ones today." "I can throw it early in the count, get some action and maybe get some quick outs," Oliver said. "But I have no problem throwing it in any count."

--CF Austin Jackson shouldn't be thinking about his strikeouts, said manager Jim Leyland, despite leading the league with 170 his rookie season. "If you make too much out of that, all of a sudden you've got a bunch of guys going up there and patty-caking the ball," Leyland said. "You don't want that. He had a great year, and he struck out some. Big deal. That's not a big issue with me. He'll cut down on those automatically, I think." Said Jackson: "It's not something that I'm too worried about, but I know if I put the ball in play more, good things happen," Jackson said. "Being at the top of the order, you definitely want to be on base. If you eliminate the strikeouts and just put the ball in play, you have a chance to beat out a hit or something. It's something where you've got to get more at bats, get more experience at it. It's good pitching at this level. I'd have good games where I'd get some hits and have a strikeout. I did that a lot."

--LHP Phil Coke seems to be making a smooth transition from reliever back to the rotation. He worked two scoreless innings in his first outing and gave up one run on three hits in three innings his second time out. Manager Jim Leyland is trying to get Coke to get away from the high-energy style he brought with him from the bullpen. Coke was critical of himself after giving up a run in his second outing. "He did absolutely fine, but you can't (get too amped up)," Leyland said. "You have to be careful. It's a long season." Said Coke: "I didn't feel very crisp releasing the ball. I guess it's sometimes better to be a little more on the lucky side than to be good, but when you want luck on your side and to be good, that's a tough combination to bring together." Added Leyland: "You just burn out if you don't. I'm not saying he isn't, but you have to stay emotionally under control. It's OK to get upset, but not at every little thing."

--RHP Robbie Weinhardt did not allow a run in his first two spring outings (three innings), while showing the more consistently good pitches Detroit wanted him to bring to spring training. Weinhardt had his moments last year as a rookie reliever, but left too many sinkers up and threw too many flat sliders. "Right now he looks very, very good," manager Jim Leyland said of Weinhardt, battling for the last spot in the Tigers' bullpen. Weinhardt worked in winter ball on getting more tilt to his slider and getting more consistent keeping his sinker low in the strike zone.

--OF Andy Dirks is becoming a candidate for the Tigers' last bench spot. Manager Jim Leyland likes the fact he can play all three outfield spots, which is something the club needs because it needs someone to start on the rare days CF Austin Jackson gets a game off. "I've probably played left and center the most," Dirks, 25, said. "Throughout my life, I've been playing all of them. So I don't have a problem playing any of them. Wherever they put me, I'm going to do my best." Dirks has a very strong arm and pitched at the junior college level. "I shut it down after that," he said. "I decided my flat fastball wasn't going to get it done anymore."

BY THE NUMBERS
150 -- Total RBI manager Jim Leyland wants to get out of 3B Brandon Inge and SS Jhonny Peralta. "I'll be happier than a hot hog in a cool mud puddle (for that)," Leyland said. "We get that, we got a real good offense."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"He has an oar out of the water sometimes. He'll drive me wacky being on the bench between starts. But I love him. He's a treat." -- Manager Jim Leyland, on having free-spirited LHP Phil Coke on the bench four days out of five because he's been moved to the rotation from the bullpen.

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