Sanders to be sidelined for at least a month

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Reggie Sanders joined catcher Yadier Molina on the 15-day disabled list on Monday, three days after a collision chasing a fly ball resulted in a hairline fracture of his right fibula.

Medical tests Sunday revealed the extent of the injury to Sanders, who could be sidelined a month or longer. Sanders, 37, was second on the team with 18 home runs, third with 44 RBIs and first with 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

A third regular, third baseman Scott Rolen, was undergoing strength tests on his surgically repaired left shoulder on Monday. Rolen has been strong defensively since returning in mid-June, but had been in a 1-for-26 slump before hitting an RBI double off Roger Clemens in a 3-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Molina hasn't played since breaking his left hand when hit by a pitch on July 7, and was placed on the disabled list retroactive to the time of the injury on Sunday when soreness persisted.

Entering a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night, the Cardinals had a major-league best 13-game lead in the NL Central and were a season-best 27 games above .500 at 59-32.

Sanders, the left fielder, was injured when he collided with center fielder Jim Edmonds on Friday night. He did not play the rest of the weekend.

The Cardinals purchased the contract of left-handed hitting outfielder John Rodriguez from Triple-A Memphis. Rodriguez, 27, was batting .342 with 17 homers and 47 RBIs in 34 games at Memphis after being acquired from the Cleveland Indians organization in June in a deal for minor league catcher Javier Cordona.

Rodriguez, who has played primarily center field and right field, will be making his major league debut. He spent eight seasons in the New York Yankees organization before signing as a minor league free agent with the Indians before this season.