training early with the pitchers and catchers. He was named the opening day center fielder after Curtis Granderson was placed on the disabled list. With the absence of backup catcher Vance Wilson, Inge filled this role for the 13-time Gold Glove winner Iván Rodríguez. Inge took over the catching position full-time after Rodríguez was traded to the New York Yankees on July 30, 2008. On September 27, Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced that he would move Inge back to third base for the 2009 season. Inge opened the 2009 season as the starting third baseman for the Tigers. He started the season by successfully reaching base 24 games in a row, the longest such streak for the Tigers since 1976. Through the first half of the 2009 season, Inge led the team in home runs with 21 and was named to the All-Star team. Having received a record 11.8 million votes in the Final Vote, Inge was selected to his first All Star Game, joining teammates Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, and Edwin Jackson on the American League squad. Inge participated in the Home Run Derby and became the eighth player in the history of the Derby to not hit a single home run. Inge underwent surgery on both of his knees on November 3, 2009. He attended a strengthening and rehabilitation program during the winter. He made a full recovery in time to play midway through spring training, and started at third base on Opening Day of the 2010 season in Kansas City. On July 19, 2010, Inge was hit on the left hand by a pitch. X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal. Doctors said it would take 4–6 weeks to heal, however he returned two weeks later. On August 26, 2010, Inge achieved his 1,000th career hit against the Kansas City Royals. On September 25, 2010, Inge set the Tigers franchise mark for strikeouts with 1,100. In the same game however, Inge had the game-winning hit in the 13th inning against the Minnesota Twins. At the conclusion of the season, Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski announced plans to re-sign Inge to a multi-year contract. Inge received the 2010 Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award, given by the Major League Baseball Players Association each year "to the player whose on-field performances and community outreach most inspire others to higher levels of achievement." On June 3, 2011,