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Jose Valverde News & Rumors

Ailing Tigers Austin Jackson, Jose Valverde hoping to return soon
May 20
Detroit News
 
"Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before Saturday's game the Tigers could be getting back to full strength soon. With center fielder Austin Jackson (mild abdominal strain) and closer Jose Valverde (back strain) out, the Tigers have had to look to others to fill their roles. Jackson has missed the last three games, Valverde the last four. "Valverde is day-to-day, but he is going to throw (Sunday) and see how he feels. If he feels great, he may be available (Sunday)," Leyland said. "I doubt that. I think it'll be Tuesday in Cleveland. He's a gamer; he's a tough guy. If he throws and tells me he's ready, he may go (Sunday)." Leyland, meanwhile, said Jackson is improving but he doesn't want to"
Joaquin Benoit to relieve injured Jose Valverde as Tigers closer
May 17
Detroit News
 
"It's day to day for Jose Valverde because of a back strain. At this point, there's no likelihood of him going on the disabled list, but there's also little likelihood of him pitching against the Twins today at Comerica Park. Valverde was forced out of Tuesday's game against the White Sox. The Sox scored two runs in the ninth inning of that game, runs that were charged to Valverde, but Octavio Dotel got out of the jam on a fly ball to deep right to end it. Valverde is 2-1 with seven saves, but his 5.51 ERA shows how much he's struggled. He also had seven saves last year in the Tigers' first 36 games, but a 1.80 ERA."
Tigers rally past White Sox; Valverde exits with injury
May 15
Detroit News
 
"The Tigers might have been happy to have headed home Tuesday, wrapping up a long road trip with a wild, 10-8 comeback victory over the White Sox. But it was how the game ended that left the Tigers more than concerned. Jose Valverde, who potentially was within a pitch of finishing off a 10-6 victory, left the game with two out in the ninth after pulling up with what manager Jim Leyland said afterward was a tight lower back. Octavio Dotel arrived, with two on, and a 3-1 count on Alex Rios, whom he walked to load the bases. Alexei Ramirez followed with a two-run double that made it a 10-8 game and put the tying run at second base. Dayan Viciedo nearly ended it on a deep fly to the right-field"
Solo homers bail out Detroit offense; redeeming day for Jose Valverde
May 7
Detroit Free Press
 
"Jim Leyland did quite a bit of managing Sunday. He managed the Tigers, of course, but he also managed some lofty expectations -- his own for the offense and those of Tigers fans for closer Jose Valverde. In the process, Leyland looked like a bit of a genius by shuffling the batting order and coaxing out a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox before 39,558 at Comerica Park. Leyland moved Brennan Boesch out of the No. 2 hitting spot and replaced him with Andy Dirks, who went 2-for-5 and provided a key insurance home run in the eighth inning."
Struggles have no effect on Jose Valverde's approach
May 7
Detroit News
 
"Some might have wondered if Jose Valverde would bag his onto-the-field skit. You know, the two-step hop, the squirt of water. Would his march to the mound Sunday be more somber, given that he blew Saturday's ninth-inning lead and entered the series finale against the White Sox at Comerica Park with an ERA of 6.17? No. Nothing was about to change. The Tigers closer's arrival featured his usual choreography. And the ninth inning was fairly close to Valverde's early-spring standard as he put two runners on with one out, before getting the final two outs and his fifth save in a nervous, 3-1 victory over the White Sox."
Tigers closer Jose Valverde finding it tough to repeat perfection
May 6
Detroit News
 
"Perfection doesn't come around often, particularly in baseball. So go ahead and sound the alarm after another late-inning collapse by the Tigers on Saturday. Just don't pretend it's a shock, or even a surprise, even though it was Jose Valverde, last year's Mr. Perfect, taking the collar in this one. The Tigers didn't lose a game they led after seven innings last year, going 77-0 in those situations on their way to a 95-win regular season and runaway AL Central Division title. This year, they've already thrown away a handful of games late, losing five of 14 they've led after the seventh. We're spoiled, I guess you could say, because the Tigers — and Valverde in particular as the team's"
Jose Valverde salvages outing
April 6
Detroit News
 
"Jose Valverde is 1-0 and 0-1 — at the same time. The 1-0 is his won-loss record because he was the winning pitcher in Thursday's 3-2 victory over the Red Sox at Comerica Park. But he was the winning pitcher because he became the pitcher of record when the Red Sox scored two runs in the ninth off him to tie the score. He blew the save. After being successful in all 49 save situations last year, Valverde is 0-for-1 this year, yet it turned out well for the Tigers. So well, in fact, manager Jim Leyland said, "I'm glad that's behind Jose." What did Leyland mean? He meant it was inevitable Valverde was going to let a save slip away. When the Tigers win, it's easier to absorb a blown save. "It"
Jose Valverde thinner, hungry for more saves
March 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"Jose Valverde lost nearly 1 pound for each of the 49 saves he converted last year for the Tigers. "I lost 40 pounds and feel great," Valverde said Friday after pitching a scoreless inning in a 7-2 win over the Pirates. "I feel light on my feet, man." While getting on his running gear for some warning track laps at McKechnie Field after pitching the seventh inning, he recalled getting into shape during the winter in the Dominican Republic coastal town of San Pedro de Macoris. "I have a cattle ranch out there and live there," Valverde said. "How many acres? I can't say, but it's about as big as Lakeland. It's big, man." Valverde, who was perfect on save conversions in helping the Tigers to"
New Tigers reliever Octavio Dotel an energy-saver for Joaquin Benoit, Jose Valverde
February 16
Detroit Free Press
 
"The back end of the Tigers' bullpen is set. Closer Jose Valverde is fresh off his best season -- 49-for-49 in save opportunities. Set-up man Joaquin Benoit shook off early troubles last season before pitching lights-out over the last four months of the season to compile a 2.95 ERA. But after pitching on back-to-back days numerous times last season and without extended days off, the two relievers certainly will be relieved to have right-hander Octavio Dotel in the bullpen this year."
Jose Valverde brings passion to mound, checkout lines
January 21
Detroit Free Press
 
"Tigers closer Jose Valverde bagged groceries for a couple of months while growing up in the Dominican Republic. "It was like closing a game," Valverde said of how easy it was. He was back at it Friday, using his right arm to help close out grocery tabs by bagging groceries at a Meijer in Auburn Hills. He proved just as efficient in the checkout lane as he did on the mound last season, when he converted 49 saves in as many opportunities. "I've done it before," he said. "If I had to do it again, I'd do it again. "When you don't have too much money, you have to do as much as you can to bring money into the house. That's what I had to do." Valverde, 33, sped through short lines and joined"
Jose Valverde to bag groceries for Meijer customers on Tigers' caravan
January 10
Detroit News
 
"The Tigers' annual winter caravan will include nearly 30 stops in Metro Detroit and throughout Michigan later this month. An official itinerary is due out later this week, but The Detroit News has learned of a few visits already scheduled. One highlight: The Tigers will visit the Auburn Hills Meijer, where All-Star closer Jose Valverde will be bagging customers' groceries."