The Detroit Tigers purchased the contract of catcher Dane Sardinha, a Kamehameha Schools alum, after placing backup catcher Matt Treanor on the 15-day disabled list with a hip injury that will require surgery.

Sardinha, 30, hit .231 in five games at Triple-A Toledo. He hit .159 in 17 games last season with Detroit.

Sardinha started yesterday and hit ninth in a 3-2 victory over the host Kansas City Royals. He was 0 for 2 with a sacrifice fly.

"I really like Sardinha," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He's an excellent catcher. We don't expect a lot of offense from him."

Sardinha primarily will serve as a back-up to starter Gerald Laird.

Treanor said he had a torn labrum on the right side that needed to be fixed.

DIAMONDBACKS

DREW ON 15-DAY DL

Arizona placed shortstop Stephen Drew on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

The club filled Drew's roster spot by purchasing the contract of utility infielder Josh Wilson from Triple-A Reno, where he hit .260 with a home run and 10 RBIs in 15 games.

Drew's move was retroactive to Saturday.

He is hitting .205.

ELSEWHERE

Japan Baseball: American Tuffy Rhodes, 40, has become the 12th player in Japanese professional baseball to hit 450 home runs. Rhodes hit a solo homer in the fourth yesterday for his 450th, then added a three-run shot in the fifth and a two-run homer in the eighth to lead the Orix Buffaloes to an 11-3 win over the Nippon Ham Fighters at Kobe, Japan.

Brewers: Milwaukee activated Trevor Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader from the disabled list, prior to yesterday's game against Houston. Hoffman had been on the DL since March 30 with a strain on his right side.