The Tigers are starting to play better, downing the Pirates Friday 3-1 for their sixth win in eight games.

Thankfully, the Tigers sent Clete Thomas back where he belongs, to Triple-A.

Herges has been so brilliant, in fact, that he’s be given a key role in the Indian pen and he’s run with it.

But if this is a keeper league, now might be the ideal time to play up his great start and the fact that he’s already qualified at both shortstop and second base for 2010 and peddle the 23-year-old to a non-competing and rebuilding team that thinks he’s all that.

Jeff Niemann drew plenty of attention after tossing the finest game of his career on Wednesday, a two-hit shutout with nine Ks and just one walk, but the truth is, he’s been pitching much better for a few weeks now, and it’s time to start considering him if you need help on the mound.