Tillman: "I haven't been pitching well enough and I understand"

Going to the bullpen wasn't Chris Tillman's first choice, of course. He's been a career starter in the majors and for the vast majority of his minor league tenure, a relief role filled only six times. But he knew an 8.10 ERA wouldn't work on a team that's still trying to make the playoffs.

"I need to get back to being me and it wasn't happening starting," he said this morning while standing at his locker. "I think this is going to be a good thing. I need to get back and I think it's for no other purpose than that."

The conversation between Tillman and Orioles manager Buck Showalter was uncomfortable for both sides.

"It's not easy because I've never seen myself in that spot, but you know what? I haven't been pitching well enough and I understand," said Tillman, who allowed seven runs (five earned) in two-plus innings in his last outing. "I'm not mad. I just need to get better. I'm not going to go down there and mope around. I'll go down there for one reason and one reason only and that's to get better and get back to knowing who I can be.

"It hasn't gone anywhere. It's not gone by any means. It's there. I just need to get back to it and I think we're headed in the right direction."

There will be the expected adjustments for someone who's unaccustomed to being used in relief, including how to warm up quickly and what to do between outings in order to fix whatever is causing him to struggle so badly, yet also remain available if needed on a particular night.

"Roger (McDowell) and I sat down for a long time the last couple days and I think we've figured some stuff out," Tillman said. "We've got a starting point, somewhere to start, and move forward from there.

"I've never done this before, so I'm going to do the best of my ability to be ready. I know I can be ready. It's just, I don't know what the adjustment period's going to be like for now, but I've got a lot of guys here who can help me, walk me through it. There are a lot of guys who have been starters out there, so I've got a lot of help."

Brief stops in the bullpen have aided Ubaldo Jiménez in the past.

"We've talked," Tillman said. "Even Zach (Britton). He's done it. There's a few guys that I've talked to about it. There's a lot of experience when it comes to that in this clubhouse and you take it with a positive mindset and get back."

Is the most important work done in games or between outings? There's more unknown to this switch.

"I think it's both," Tillman said. "I've got to pitch better regardless. I think what was going on before wasn't good enough and I think side sessions and bullpens, those are important because that's where you kind of iron everything out, and when you get in a game you put it to use and start to hopefully see the results. So I think it's both."

Tillman isn't aware of any set schedule. He's probably available today - Showalter was going to check on him, as well as Miguel Castro - but otherwise, Tillman said he hasn't heard anything.

"I don't know, but there's always a method to his madness," Tillman said. "He never just throws you out there to the dogs. He normally has an idea and a plan of what he wants to do, so I'm assuming there's something. I haven't heard anything

"I'm ready."

Here are the starters for the series against the Angels in Anaheim:

Monday: Dylan Bundy vs. J.C. Ramirez
Tuesday: Jeremy Hellickson vs. Parker Bridwell
Wednesday: Kevin Gausman vs. Troy Scribner

For the Tigers
Ian Kinsler 2B
Jim Adduci RF
Justin Upton LF
Nicholas Castellanos 3B
Mikie Mahtook CF
Victor Martinez DH
John Hicks C
Andrew Romine 1B
Dixon Machado SS

Anibal Sanchez RHP