Tigers Notes From Spring Training

Mike Maroth

Maroth fully recovered

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Mike Maroth has fully recovered from last year's surgery on his left elbow-- in his opinion. But he's fully recovered in his manager's opinion, as well.

Maroth was sharp in a three-inning effort Tuesday, shutting out the Blue Jays on one hit and a walk.

"He looked good," Jim Leyland said. "He's had absolutely no problems. I don't think there's any question that he's healthy. It's just a matter of arm strength now.

"Barring anything unforeseen, he'll be in our rotation -- and he should be."

Good start

Chris Shelton wasn't over-eager about getting into the lineup after missing the first week because of a strained abdomen. He knew it could work against him.

Shelton played first base Tuesday and went 2-for-3 -- his first hit was a double in his first at-bat against Roy Halladay .

"I wasn't hesitant, I felt good," Shelton said. "But there's no reason I shouldn't feel good. I'm not worried about anything."

Not even about making the team?

"That's not my decision," he said. "All I can do is have the right attitude and get myself ready for whatever happens, which I'm doing."

Just a bump

Brent Clevlen was held out of the game after being hit in the head Monday against the Yankees -- and for the resulting bump he was sporting a day later.

"I'm fine," he said. "They're just being careful."

Said Leyland: "He's OK. But he has a pretty good goose egg."

Quotable

Leyland, on Brandon Inge needing to take more of an attitude to the plate this year: "I don't know if angry is the right word. He needs more of a plan if he gets in a hole, as in what is my approach going to be if I'm 0-2? But he's making progress. He's a power hitter and we're just trying to refine him a little bit. I'm very pleased with him. You just have to have a plan about what you're going to do."

Leyland, on Ryan Raburn : "I've certainly been impressed with what I've seen." Raburn is a handy position player who's been in the organization since 2001, the last two years at Toledo.
Source: detnews.com