"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."