Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers named the American League Player of the Week

Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending September 16th. This marks Miguel's ninth career weekly honor, his second of this season (also accomplished on April 9th), and it is his sixth since arriving in Detroit in 2008. The announcement was made earlier today on MLB Network.

Cabrera batted .407 (11-for-27) with two doubles, three home runs, seven RBI and seven runs scored in six games. The right-handed-hitting slugger led the Majors with 22 total bases, and among American Leaguers, he was tied for second in hits and RBI and ranked third in runs scored.

After splitting the first two games of a four-game set with the A.L. Central-leading Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field to open the week, the Venezuelan native the Tigers to their second straight victory over the division rival in an 8-6 triumph on Wednesday to pull Detroit within one game of the division lead. The 29-year-old finished with three hits, including an RBI and a run scored. On Friday, the seven-time All-Star went 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored, and made a run-saving defensive play as the Tigers went on to shut out the Cleveland Indians, 4-0, at Progressive Field. With runners at second and third with two outs in the sixth inning, Cabrera made a diving stop down the third-base line and threw across the diamond to end the inning and hold off the Indians.  The shutout was Detroit's first since July 15th. In Sunday's tilt with the Tribe, Cabrera led his club with three hits, including a double, a three-run homer and a season-high-tying three runs scored before the Indians used some late-inning heroics to edge the Tigers, 7-6, snapping Detroit's four-game winning streak. Cabrera's seventh-inning blast was his team-leading 38th of the season. Heading into play today, the A.L.'s reigning batting champion leads the league in batting average (.330), slugging percentage (.598) and total bases (335), is tied for first in RBI (123), is second in hits (185), is tied for third in runs scored (96), is fourth in on-base percentage (.394) and is fifth in homers (38). Cabrera's 335 total bases and 74 extra-base hits lead all Major League hitters.

Other noteworthy performances last week included Seattle Mariners infielder Kyle Seager (.423, 4 2B, .423 OBP); Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters (.500, 2 HR, 1.000 SLG); Texas Rangers infielder Michael Young (.500, 10 H, .583 OBP); and New York Yankees closer Rafael Soriano (4 SV in 4 APP). In recognition of his American League Player of the Week Award, Miguel Cabrera will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.