MLB Rumors: San Francisco Giants release Dontrelle Willis

Once a sensational starting pitcher on the Florida Marlins, Dontrelle Willis has attempted a number of comebacks the last few seasons. The latest such attempt was with the San Francisco Giants organization on the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies this season.

Unfortunately that comeback appears to have been derailed by an injury, as reported on the recap of his last outing for the Grizzlies:

"Former National League Rookie of the Year Dontrelle Willis might have had his attempt to reach the majors again derailed. Willis, who pitches for the Fresno Grizzlies, appeared in immense pain after throwing a wild pitch Sunday. He grabbed his throwing arm and immediately dropped to the ground during the eighth inning of the Grizzlies’ 10-4 loss to the Las Vegas 51s."

And then today, as noted by MLBTradeRumors, Willis’s release appeared on the Pacific Coast League transactions page. With the end of this comeback, it appears that the end of the road might be near for Willis.

When he first arrived in the big leagues, Willis baffled opposing hitters with a deceptive motion. Once he was forced to switch to a more conventional delivery, however, he struggled with a combination of injuries and command issues.

When last Willis appeared in the big leagues, he went 1-6 with a 5.00 ERA in 13 starts with the Cincinnati Reds in 2011. Since then he managed a total of 27 ineffective minor league innings over the course of the last two seasons. With that, this injury might be the end of the road for Willis.