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[recte44]

(from Olney's ESPN Insider column)

Jeremy Bonderman thought that watching the Tigers play in the World Series might fuel his desire to get back to the big leagues, and he did go to see Justin Verlander and other friends when the playoffs took Detroit through Oakland.

But the push for his comeback goes deeper than that, and began long before baseball's postseason began.

Bonderman, who just turned 30, started his workouts long before he had Tommy John surgery in April 2012. He explained over the phone Sunday that most weeks, he's training six days out of seven, and he has cut his weight from 245 to about 210 pounds, or what he weighed as he came out of high school.

"I just want to go out and play," he said. "I just want to go out and compete, and go out on my terms."

The right-hander has 193 starts in the majors and made tens of millions of dollars in the past. "It's not about the money," he said. "I want my son to be in the clubhouse. It's about proving something to myself and my kids."

Bonderman bumped into Tigers officials while visiting with Verlander, and he left an immediate impression, apparently; there was some discussion about a possible reunion. Bonderman isn't looking for much. "Just a minor league deal, with a major league [spring training] invite," he said.

Bonderman's last big-league appearance was Oct. 1, 2010, and after that, he returned to Oregon, unsure of what he wanted to do. Throwing a baseball was not a comfortable act for him. He started eating better, eating smaller meals throughout the course of a day rather than a large meal at the end of the day, and he starting training, mixing up his daily routine with a personal trainer -- doing weight work and cardiovascular work, and some yoga. He decided to have the reconstructive elbow surgery that he needed last spring, and has been throwing for about 3½ months. "It feels a heck of a lot better than it did when I left the game," said Bonderman, who has been throwing to his brother, John. "The ball just comes out with that late life at the end.

"You lose that much weight, it's amazing how much better your body feels," he said. "I can feel it through everything, it's a lot easier to move, and a lot easier [to throw]."

Bonderman says he'll be ready to throw for teams at the outset of January, but as he spoke, it was clear that he feels like he's open to anything, and itching to get back on the mound. "I think I could be ready before then," he said. "We'll see what happens."

[jiminyhopkins]

That's good to hear. I was hearing rumors of a non roster invite to Tigers ST but that was evidently quashed by his decision to go ahead with the surgery. Wouldn't mind seeing him back as a reliever if he can still throw that good slider. He started so young... I'd hate to think that the Tigers ruined him but they probably did.