Ankle weakness forces Magglio to DL

Ankle weakness forces Magglio to DL
By Cash Kruth / MLB.com | 05/13/11 3:22 PM ET

The Tigers placed Magglio Ordonez on the 15-day disabled list with right ankle weakness Friday, retroactive to Wednesday.

To replace Ordonez on the active roster, the Tigers will purchase the contract of outfielder Andy Dirks from Triple-A Toledo upon his arrival to Detroit.

The ankle is the same one Ordonez needed a surgical procedure to stabilize on Aug. 25, 2010. That procedure was performed by Dr. Phillip Kwong of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles. Ordonez will be referred back to Dr. Kwong for further testing and evaluation.

Ordonez, 37, is hitting .172 with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs in 26 games this season.

Dirks -- who will wear No. 12 -- was batting .328 with six home runs, 20 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 34 games with Toledo this season.

The move happened just as the Mud Hens were heading on the road for a four-game series at Gwinnett, Ga. Dirks was expected to arrive sometime during Friday's game.

Cash Kruth is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @cashkruth.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Last Updated: May 13. 2011 5:42PM
Tigers put Magglio Ordonez on disabled list, call up Andy Dirks
Tom Gage / / The Detroit News

Detroit — Magglio Ordonez has been placed on the 15-day disabled list because of right ankle weakness.

But it could be longer than 15 days he'll be disabled.

That's because Ordonez will undergo tests to determine why his ankle, which he broke last year, isn't regaining satisfactory strength — but also because Ordonez knows he can't be the player he needs to be with it feeling as weak as it does.

The Tigers will call up outfielder Andy Dirks from Triple-A Toledo.

When asked Friday about when it began bothering him so much that he could no longer play on it, Ordonez said, "it's been bothering me every day."

And when asked if he indeed can't be a productive player unless it gets better, he just nodded.

"At this time we can't answer that (how long he'll be on the DL)," said trainer Kevin Rand. "We'll have a better idea once he's seen next week.

"We're going to send him back out to Los Angeles to see the specialist who did the surgery (Dr. Phillip Kwong of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles). Maybe we need to give it a blow for a couple of weeks."

Rand said Ordonez's ankle fracture was unique because it was "a vertical fracture, not horizontal."

Ordonez is hitting .172 with three doubles, one home run and five RBI in 26 games this season. In 34 games with Toledo, Dirks was hitting .328 with six doubles, six homers, 20 RBI and 10 steals.

Dirks will wear uniform No. 12 with the Tigers.

On another injury front, Carlos Guillen took batting practice at Comerica Park on Friday and said he's finally encouraged with how his right knee is progressing.

Guillen said it's still his mindset that he will definitely play at some point this season and that it's just a matter of when.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110513/SPORTS0104/105130434/Tigers-put-Magglio-Ordonez-on-disabled-list--call-up-Andy-Dirks#ixzz1MIXOFRBq