DETROIT -- Tigers starting pitcher Kenny Rogers believes teammate Jeremy Bonderman's potentially season-ending injury could become a blessing in disguise.

Rogers would know.

After all, he went through a similar situation in 2001.

"He's lucky," Rogers said, "because he'll feel better, and he'll be able to do things that his body wants to do, but right now, he's limited."

The Tigers put Bonderman on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday after he had two medical procedures to relieve a blood clot in his axillary vein caused by thoratic outlet compression syndrome, a pinching of the vein. He will undergo several examinations over the next few days to determine if his condition requires season-ending surgery to remove the first rib on his right side.

Seven years ago, Rogers experienced a similar condition. He missed the last two and a half months of the 2001 season after an artery and circulation problem. He had season-ending surgery to remove the first rib on the left-hander's left side.

"The way I was feeling at the time was similar," Rogers said. "It was tough to have energy, and what bothered me the most was the feel of where the ball was going to go."

Their conditions have a slight difference.

Rogers' blocked artery blocked blood flow from the heart to his arm. Bonderman's clot, however, dealt with the vein responsible for returning blood from this arm to his heart. Two different stages of circulation, but the situations share enough similarity for Rogers to talk about what Bonderman can expect if he requires surgery.

"He'll be better. When I came back, I -- without a doubt -- had significant improvement in blood flow," Rogers said. "I gained two, three mph, maybe even four. I think he'll be better for that."

Rogers had two reasons to call himself "happy" for Bonderman. First, Bonderman came out of a serious situation without trouble. Second, whenever Bonderman returns to the Tigers' rotation, whether it occurs later this season or next season, he could come back a better pitcher than the one that went 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA in 12 starts this season.

"I know he's disappointed, because he can't play for a while and all that, but I have no doubt that if they go in there and take his rib out, he's going to come back feeling better and throwing a lot better," Rogers said. "His velocity will get back to where it was normally.

"He's lucky, in a way."