KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Detroit Tigers placed backup catcher Matt Treanor on the 15-day disabled list today with a hip injury that will require surgery and purchased the contract of Dane Sardinha, a Kamehameha Schools alum.

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

"I would imagine from what I had heard it will be for two to three months," he said.

The 30-year-old Sardinha, who will back up starter Gerald Laird, started today against the Kansas City Royals.

Detroit purchased the contract Sardinha from Triple-A Toledo, where he hit .231 in five games. Sardinha, 30, hit .159 in 17 games last season with Detroit.

The 33-year-old Treanor was 0-for-13 in four games and struck out four times. His wife is Misty May-Treanor, an Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball.

The Tigers signed Treanor in December after he spent the past five seasons with the Florida Marlins, hitting .237 in 274 games.

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

Treanor said he would see the Tigers' team physicians Monday when the team returns to Detroit. He plans to contact Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York to schedule the surgery.

Treanor had sports hernia surgery on his left hip last October. He said he knew about the torn labrum in spring training and tried to play through it after receiving an injection.

"I tried everything I could to just get through this and it didn't happen," Treanor said. "I didn't want to jump the gun and think I just had to get surgery. I was hoping to get to the All-Star break and maybe get another injection and finish up the year."