"They have great looks in their eyes now," said new Tigers pitching coach Rick Knapp, who has been with them for most Monday and Friday throwing sessions. "Dontrelle is in very good condition. Jeremy is, too."

Bonderman walked out of the weight room at Marchant Stadium on Friday morning, his T-shirt soaked in sweat. He had been in the house of pain longer than one hour, paying the price required in comebacks from dire situations.

His 2008 season was finished June 6, the day a blood clot was discovered. The vein carrying blood from his right arm to his heart was plugging. A thrombolysis was required to break up the clot, followed by an angioplasty. Later that month, his first rib was removed to remedy the clot causing vein pinching, and a vein was replaced.

"I wondered if I had pitched my last game in the big leagues and I was scared," said Bonderman, pausing to wipe his brow. "I got a piece of the rib. They wanted me to take it. But after I saw it, I threw it away."

He was instructed to do nothing for months after the surgery in Dallas. Then, he took baby steps before rolling into full-blown rehabilitation. On Monday, Bonderman will fulfill a goal he has had for nearly eight months.

"I'm going to throw off the mound for the first time," Bonderman said. "I want to get back to work. That's what I want most."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Bonderman has regained velocity lost from his fastball. Bonderman had 347 strikeouts in 388 1/3 innings in 2006 and 2007, but fanned 44 in 71 1/3 innings last season.

"I do not want to use this as an excuse," Bonderman said. "But my arm felt like a piece of wood, and now I have the whipping action back. I'm better -- the way I used to be. I feel the seams on the ball again. The feel went away slowly for so long."

Willis is in search of what he had once, reaching for the control and stuff that made him a 22-game winner for the Florida Marlins in 2005. He was 0-2 with a 9.38 ERA in eight games for the Tigers, spending most of last season in the minors with a simple mission: throw strikes.

"The workouts and throwing have been very good," Willis said Friday, after a bullpen session. "My knee (injured in April) feels good again, and everything feels strong."

He has enjoyed working with Knapp, the minor-league pitching coordinator of the Minnesota Twins for the past 12 years.

"At Minnesota, they take pride in throwing strikes," Willis said. "Rick has come in and told me to be myself, and to attack the strike zone, have fun. He likes the shape I'm in and my strength."

Knapp said he had two concerns with Willis: "I did not want to take his personality away. And he has certain mechanical things that he has to do."

He said adding backup catcher Matt Treanor, a free agent from the Marlins, is important.

"Dontrelle pitched great when they were together," Knapp said.

Willis said he loves working with Treanor, but noted he was pleased with his catchers last year.

"Matt busts his butt and is a student of the game," said Willis, adding that he is very impressed with new starting catcher Gerald Laird, obtained from the Texas Rangers.

Willis did not win a game in the majors last year; Bonderman won three. Starters Justin Verlander and Nate Robertson combined for 18 wins. Verlander came to Lakeland early, along with reliever Joel Zumaya, coming off a nondisplaced fracture in his right shoulder. Robertson arrives here this weekend after intense workouts in Michigan.

"We're all focused, or we would not be down here this early," said Willis, who will vie with Robertson and Zach Miner for the fifth spot in the starting rotation.

Bonderman and Willis said they have gained strength from one another.

"I want to make sure I'm ready, like all of these guys," Bonderman said. "We were all disappointed in the year we had or didn't have. We have an owner (Mike Ilitch) who put all that money into us. And the fans were so disappointed.

"We have to put together a good year, for ourselves and everybody."