Jackson on fire since return from DL

DETROIT -- The Tigers have had to keep an eye on Austin Jackson's hamstring since his return from the disabled list two weeks ago. They have not, however, had to worry about his bat.

Jackson entered Thursday's homestand finale against the Angels with a 10-game hitting streak, his longest since last summer and the fifth-longest of his career. Though he went 0-for-3 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch vs. the Halos, he enters this weekend's series at Tampa Bay with a .301 average.

For someone who had just three rehab games at Triple-A Toledo before he returned from the DL on June 14, it's a fast start.

Moreover, Jackson has coupled those hits with walks -- six of them in the previous three games.

As Jackson goes, the Tigers' offense tends to follow. They were at their high-powered best when Jackson was reaching base to lead off innings in April. They withstood his DL stint for a couple weeks but finally showed signs of slowing in early June, but their leadoff hitter's return has them back on track.