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Willis status is questionable

Dontrelle felt tightness in his pitching arm in all of his off-day throwing sessions.  He was evaluated in the bullpen session before the game to see if he should start.  Whoever did the pre-game evaluation, sucks at it.

''Obviously, he was not himself, and that's why we took him out of the game,'' Gonzalez said. ``If you had ever seen him pitch, it was obvious it wasn't him.''

The description of the injury does raise some cause for concern.

Asked where he felt the discomfort, Willis rubbed his fingers along the inside part of his left forearm up to his elbow.

"I don't like hospitals and I don't like being in training rooms,'' he said, "but this is one I'm gonna have to swallow, so I can be ready and feel better.''

This may be next to nothing or it could be very serious.  Pain up the inside of the forearm to the elbow can be an indicator of a serious problem.  But hopefully not in this case.

If Willis can't go in his next start, and by all indications they will have to tranquilize him in order for him to miss it.

'No, I am not going on the disabled list,'' Willis said after the game. ``It [my arm] would have to fly off for that. I just had some tightness, and that comes from pitching 200 innings. I don't know any pitcher who doesn't go through aches and pains, and I've pitched through tightness before. I am going to make my next start.''

Kim will make the start in the place of Willis.

Injuries are killing the Marlins season* and the team sure can't handle it if Dontrelle is out for any length of time.  The bullpen is over taxed as it is and there is no one is the minors who can eat the innings the way Willis does.  Maybe it's just a twinge and all my worry is for naught.  I certainly hope that is the case.

* Yes, I know the crappy defense may be just as big a problem as the injuries.  But more on that later.