The Detroit Tigers disabled Dontrelle Willis with an anxiety disorder. This may be similar to what happened to Zach Greinke at the start of the 2006 season. I’m very wary when teams disable a player for a vague mental illness. Greinke turned out to be suffering from a psychological disorder, and was thankfully able to work his way back to the majors. I worry, however, that the Tigers have someone who just can’t pitch anymore and are looking for a way to keep from sending him to the minors.

On the other hand, if Willis’s problem does stem from anxiety, there are plenty of treatments for that, maybe as simple as a beta-blocker.

Update: Mack Avenue Tigers found a quote from Willis:

Willis said the diagnosis came after follow-up blood tests showed something of concern. Doctors told him that the condition is treatable and that they’ll start him on a regimen.

“This is not depression,” Willis said. “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 that I’m crazy.”

I’m glad the condition is treatable.