Nate Robertson is channeling the spirit of crafty Tigers left-handers before him. He's talking with former Tigers pitchers Kenny Rogers and Frank Tanana to get their ideas on how to work in and out, up and down in the strike zone to keep hitters off balance. Both Rogers and Tanana were hard-throwing lefties when they entered the majors, before losing their velocity and finding success by necessity, mixing their pitches later in their careers. Now Robertson is trying to do the same thing.

"They had to learn a different style of pitching," Robertson said, "and they're obviously proof how to be successful with it. It's a mindset that you have to change, because you believe in something that used to work. You get that competitive nature of wanting to really power it by guys, and all of a sudden, you have to be like, 'Well, I'm going to pull the string instead of trying to put a fastball by you.'"

This change in approach began following elbow surgery last summer and groin surgery after the season, with a realization that Robertson might not be the same pitcher that he was four years ago.

Robertson’s changeup has become more pitch for him because it makes the fastball harder to hit, despite losing a few miles per hour.