Injury update: What Willis is doing

Tigers LHP Dontrelle Willis, who has been on the disabled list because of an anxiety disorder, will return to the majors to start Wednesday’s game at Minnesota. He made four injury-rehab starts in the minor leagues. RHP Jeremy Bonderman is continuing to rehab in extended spring training. OF Carlos Guillen also is on the DL because of an inflamed right shoulder.

There’s intrigue in New York, where Mets manager Jerry Manuel indicated he had no knowledge that defective starter Oliver Perez had tendinitis in his right knee until the lefthander went on the disabled list. The Mets won’t be real winners until they clear up the in-fighting and palace coup attempts in their organization. Those are beginning to make the Yankees’ Bronx/Tampa split look like a crack in the sidewalk.

The Cardinals put OF Rick Ankeil on the 15-day disabled list because of a bruised shoulder suffered when he ran headfirst into an outfield wall Monday.

There has been a mini-epidemic of pitchers, mostly older ones with strained left hamstrings: RHP Carlos Zambrano (Cubs), Tom Gordon (Diamondbacks) and Doug Brocail (Astros)

More players who are newly on the DL:
Diamondbacks 1B Tony Clark (sprained right hand)
Mariners RHPs Brandon Morrow (biceps tendinitis) and Shawn Kelley (strained left oblique)
Royals SS (Tony Pena (fractured hamate bone, left hand)
Yankees LHP Damaso Marte (shoulder tendinitis)
Indians RHP Joe Smith (strained rotator cuff)
Athletics RHP Santiago Casilla (sprained right knee)
Orioles RHP Dennis Sarfate (injured middle finger)
Dodgers LHP Hong-chih Kuo (sore elbow)
Marlins RHP Anibal Sanchez (strained shoulder)

A bunch more players have gone on injury-rehab assignments:
Blue Jays LHPs B.J. Ryan and Ricky Romero (high Class A Dunedin)
Padres RHP Cha Seung Baek (Triple-A Portland)
Pirates SS Jack Wilson (Triple-A Indianapolis)
Indians 2B/3B/SS Jamey Carroll (Triple-A Columbus)
Astros C Humberto Quintero (Triple-A Round Rock)

Newly off the DL:
Braves C Brian McCann
Red Sox OF Rocco Baldelli
Braves OF Garret Anderson
Phillies C Carlos Ruiz
Astros RHP Brian Moehler
Angels LHP Darren Oliver
Twins RHP Jesse Crain
Rangers RHP Kris Benson
Nationals LHP Joe Beimel
Athletics OF Ben Copeland, a Rule 5 draft pick who probably won’t play much