DETROIT – Perhaps it was fitting that while former Tiger Justin Verlander was racking up outs in Toronto on his way to his third career no-hitter, his younger brother Ben was watching it from Comerica Park, the site of Justin Verlander’s first no-no.

“That was crazy,” Ben Verlander said afterwards.

Ben Verlander was in town to hang with good friend John Hicks on the weekend of his 30th birthday. Hicks not only grew up playing high school ball with the elder Verlander, he caught five of Verlander’s games with the Tigers before his 2017 trade to Houston. Hicks has since homered off Verlander twice, including a solo homer two weeks ago in Houston to end a perfect Verlander start in the fifth inning.

It did not surprise Hicks that Verlander had another no-hitter in him.

“He keeps amazing people,” Hicks said. “He gets older and gets better, it seems like. It’s pretty impressive what he’s able to do.”

Among the current Tigers, only Miguel Cabrera was around for Verlander’s last no-hitter, also in Toronto, with the Tigers in 2011. But Verlander took enough no-hit bids into the late innings in the years that followed that several current Tigers knew the feeling of watching his chase for a third, and what it meant to him.

Matthew Boyd was around when Chris Iannetta broke up a Verlander no-hit bid in the ninth inning on Aug. 26, 2015.

“He's so talented and so prepared that every time he takes the ball, it's a possibility,” Boyd said. “It's truly impressive, not surprising, just knowing him and how he goes about his business. Happy for him.”

Boyd, of course, had his own experience with a no-hit bid, coming within an out of a no-no against the White Sox on Sept. 17, 2017, before Tim Anderson doubled over Nicholas Castellanos in right field. But beyond the no-hit bids, Boyd watched Verlander’s struggle to adapt his game to his age in '16 and '17.

“It's a testament to his dedication,” Boyd said. “Obviously he had all the talent when he came up, and he was the first pick, but you think of ceilings and that concept that something is finite. It's not. He's believed that. He continues to work hard. He inspired me when I was here.

“I have to say I'm not surprised that happened. He just continues to get better. It's a testament to his hard work. Every year, he can always continue to get better. I'm very, very happy for him.”

Ron Gardenhire never had a chance to manage Verlander, but he saw that form from him from the other dugout, and that sense of how hard a hit might be to come by.

“When I managed [in Minnesota], we didn’t let him throw a no-hitter,” Gardenhire said, “but he got a lot of one-hitters. He’s a stud, a great athlete and a great pitcher. I don’t have to tell you that here in this city. It’s just a matter of time when he does those things. That’s why those guys [in Houston] went and got him.”

More September callups
With Triple-A Toledo’s season now over, the Tigers announced another batch of September callups. Third baseman Jeimer Candelario, outfielder Christin Stewart, catcher Grayson Greiner, right-hander Zac Reininger and left-handers Tyler Alexander and Daniel Stumpf joined the team Monday evening following the Mud Hens' series finale Monday afternoon.

All of them have already spent time with the Tigers this season. All but Alexander were in Detroit at some point last year as well. For many, it’s a chance to make one last impression going into the offseason, when the Tigers face some tough decisions on their 40-man roster and beyond.

Candelario, Stewart and Greiner were all in Detroit’s Opening Day lineup five months ago in Toronto before hitting struggles and injuries landed them in Toledo for the stretch run of summer. Stewart batted .239 (68-for-285) with 21 doubles, seven home runs, 33 RBIs and a .714 OPS before a collision with the outfield fence at Angel Stadium landed him on the concussion injured list at the end of July. He posted an .879 OPS with four home runs in 22 games with the Mud Hens.

Stewart arrives to a crowded outfield; Victor Reyes earned Tigers Player of the Month honors for August for his work primarily in left field, Stewart’s previous spot, while Travis Demeritte has been the Tigers’ everyday right fielder.

Likewise, Dawel Lugo's emergence at third base creates an infield squeeze for Candelario, who has a .198 average (54-for-273) and .615 OPS in 73 games with the Tigers this season. The 25-year-old switch-hitter could see time at first base.

Greiner batted .162 (25-for-154) with five homers and 14 RBIs with the Tigers before landing on the injured list in mid-June with a low back strain. He batted .250 (12-for-48) in 13 games with Toledo.

Stumpf, Alexander and Reininger add depth to a Tigers bullpen that has been taxed between piggyback starts and long relief efforts. Stumpf allowed 13 earned runs on 33 hits over 26 1/3 innings with 13 walks and 25 strikeouts before being optioned to Toledo in late July.

Notably absent from the callups were some prospects hoping for a big league debut. Daz Cameron was on the Tigers’ radar when the season began but struggled to a .214 average (96-for-448) with 13 homers, 43 RBIs and a .707 OPS in Toledo. Kyle Funkhouser was hoped to be an extra starter but finished with a 6.36 ERA over 23 starts between Toledo and Double-A Erie.

Can’t stop the shifting
Though the Twins took advantage of the Tigers’ infield shifts with opposite-field RBI singles for four runs off starter Spencer Turnbull in Sunday’s 8-3 Detroit defeat, Gardenhire warns not to make too much of it. It’s not just about where the infielders are aligned, he said, but where the pitcher throws the ball.

As Gardenhire noted, Turnbull “was all over the place.”

Thus, instead of getting a ball inside that a left-handed hitter might be more likely to pull to the right side and the teeth of a shift, Turnbull paid for leaving some pitches on the outer half. The Tigers adjusted as the game went on, but the five-run second inning was enough for the Twins.

“You have to understand, the shifts are here to stay,” Gardenhire said. “Last year, we were good. This year, we’re not as good.”

The Tigers rank 11th in total shifts this season, according to Statcast, shifting their infield on 28.4 percent of total plate appearances. They shift the fifth-most among Major League teams against left-handed batters at 55.9 percent of plate appearances.

The Tigers ranked fifth in the Majors last year with 30 Shift Runs Saved, according to FanGraphs. They rank 12th this year with 10.