He's back:
First save of 2013:
DETROIT -- The bullpen door opened, and Jose Valverde lingered there, like he had so many times before. He might as well have been waiting for a time warp.
Six months after the Tigers bade farewell to Valverde at Comerica Park, there he was, back with his old team, back in his old role. With three outs in the ninth to finish off a 7-5 win over the Royals, he was seemingly back to his old stuff.
Valverde threw 18 pitches, 11 for strikes, and was around the plate throughout the ninth. According to MLB game tracker, Valverde threw two fastballs at 92 mph, nine at 93, six at 94 and one at 95.
Valverde received a nice ovation from the crowd, at least the diehards that made it to the final inning on a cold night at the ballpark. But he said he didn't pay much attention to it.