Now you know why the Tigers didn't want to just give Brandon Inge away.

Inge's value to the Tigers shot way up Sunday when it was disclosed that center fielder Curtis Granderson will miss three weeks because of a non-displaced fracture of a bone in his right middle finger. He was hit by a pitch Saturday, and X-rays determined the break.

Manager Jim Leyland will use the last week of exhibition games to experiment with alternate batting orders, but Inge showed both in 2004 and this spring he is a more than capable replacement in center field defensively. He has hit well this spring, too, but those statistics don't count as of March 31.

Inge wanted an opportunity to play regularly when he learned this winter he was being displaced as Detroit's third baseman by Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers were willing to accommodate his request -- but not if it meant picking up part of his salary and not if it meant they would have to accept a low-level prospect in return.

So Inge reported to the Tigers' spring training camp and pouted at first about catching -- he said it affected his hitting, which wasn't that hot last year anyway -- before recanting and agreeing to do what he was asked. What he was asked to do was work out in the outfield, at third, at short and behind the plate.

Leyland wanted to give him as much exposure as his bat and defensive skills warranted, and planned to try him at second base, too, to expand his versatility to Detroit and demonstrate his value to other teams. Inge needed a revival after he hit his way out of the lineup last year, batting .236 with a dramatic run-production drop.

But when the injury occurred that would give Inge an opportunity to become a regular, it happened in Detroit, not somewhere else.

The Tigers have other options, but Inge would seem to be best suited for playing center field on a regular basis.

Ryan Raburn can also play center, but not as well as Inge. So can left fielder Jacque Jones, which would put outfielder/first baseman Marcus Thames in left.

So can Freddy Guzman, still with the team, and Brent Clevlen, who has been sent back to minor league camp. One of them is likely to be with the Tigers until Granderson gets back in mid-April.

Granderson's injury could be a big break for Inge. If he hits, he could muscle his way to more at-bats with Detroit -- and increase his attractiveness when misfortune strikes someone else.

If he doesn't hit, well, they say there's a lot of shade on the bench on those hot summer days.

PRIMED FOR A BIG SEASON
RHP Justin Verlander and 3B Miguel Cabrera. Verlander has three outstanding pitches and 35 victories in his first two seasons. He has looked solid this spring and has the work ethic to complement his skills. Cabrera spent the winter slimming down and is coming to a team of veterans who will show him how to refine his superstar skills. Cold weather might affect him more than switching leagues initially.

ON THE DECLINE
LHP Dontrelle Willis has shown a live arm, but his control this spring has been spotty, as it was during his last two seasons with Florida. The inability to throw strikes early in the count have marked his steady two-year falloff from a 22-win 2005 season.

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