Tigers' Willis on the shelf with anxiety disorder
Lefty was winless last season for Detroit and struggling this year
Dontrelle Willis will miss the first part of the Detroit Tigers' season because of an anxiety disorder.
The former 22-game winner for Florida who struggled when he came to the Motor City last season (0-2 in just seven starts) told MLB.com the diagnosis came after a blood test.
"This is not depression," said Willis, who has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. "This is something totally different.
"This is something where they saw something in my blood that they didn't like. I'm not crazy, though my teammates might think I'm crazy."
A lefthander, Willis was having a poor spring in Florida surrendering 12 earned runs, 17 hits and seven walks in just 8 2/3 innings.
Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski told the Detroit News, "We understand it can be corrected," and would give no timetable for recovery.
Willis was 66-54 in five seasons with Florida, including 22-10 in 2005.