Iglesias holding up to everyday role

HOUSTON -- Some less-than-artistic teammate posted a stick-figure drawing beside Jose Iglesias' locker inside the visiting clubhouse at Minute Maid Park. The theme of it was that if the Tigers shortstop does his pregame work and postgame exercises, he's good to go.

His recent stretch seems to back it up. He played every inning of 18 consecutive games in a 19-day stretch before he got a day off Monday at Kansas City, and that was more of a mental break than a physical one.

"Brad [Ausmus] gave me a day in Kansas City," Iglesias said, "and it was worth it for me. After the thing happened at home, I needed a day. It was my first day going through a situation like [the dugout altercation last weekend at Comerica Park]. After that, I'm good."

He was back in the lineup the next day, and with a steady diet of off-days in the schedule, he's likely to be a fixture in the Tigers' lineup for a while. After early-season concerns about the wear and tear of everyday play following a lost season to stress fractures in both shins last year, enough that the Tigers carried two utility infielders on the Opening Day roster, Iglesias' legs are no longer a major concern for the staff.

"As soon as the doctor cleared me, I stopped thinking about it," Iglesias said. "I just thank God that I'm healthy and playing every day."

If anything, the Tigers might keep an eye on his energy level heading into September.