PHOENIX - The Pittsburgh Pirates released catcher Benito Santiago on Sunday, eight days after the five-time All-Star refused a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

The Pirates also put outfielder Craig Wilson on the 15-day disabled list because of a hand injury, and purchased the contract of outfielder Ray Sadler from Double-A Altoona.

Santiago, 40, went on the disabled list - retroactive to April 15 - because of a viral infection. He was due to return April 30, but declined when manager Lloyd McClendon asked him to get back into shape in the minors.

McClendon denied any connection between Santiago's determination to stay with the team and his release.

"It was more the fact that we had two young catchers that we think are major league players, and they've performed well," McClendon said. "Benito got hurt, and (David) Ross had an opportunity to play, and took advantage of it, opened some eyes, and we feel real good about our catching situation."

Ross, a former Los Angeles Dodgers backup acquired for $75,000 on March 30, is 5-for-13 with three RBIs in his last four games.

No. 1 Humberto Cota was activated from the DL on April 19, the same day Santiago refused to leave it, and has started 10 of 19 games. He went 2-for-4 Sunday against Arizona, with a two-run double that gave him five extra-base hits of his seven hits this season.

Kansas City traded Santiago to the Pirates for minor league pitcher Leo Nunez on Dec. 16 and agreed to pay about $1 million of his $2.15 million salary.

Santiago started five games with Pittsburgh and appeared in another - leaving him one short of Al Lopez (1,918) for sixth in career games behind the plate. Santiago had six hits, including a double, in 23 at-bats (.261).

Santiago is a .263 career hitter with 1,830 hits, 323 doubles, 217 homers and 920 RBIs in 19 seasons with nine teams. He started with San Diego and was NL rookie of the year in 1987.

The team said Wilson tore tissue in his left middle finger swinging at a pitch in the fourth inning Friday night. Wilson doubled on the play and scored a run in the 8-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"His bat was just starting to warm up," McClendon said.

The 28-year-old Wilson started 24 of Pittsburgh's first 28 games, batting cleanup 11 times. He was hitting .296 (24-of-81), with five doubles, and homer and seven RBIs.

Sadler, who had five homers and 11 RBIs in 26 games with Triple-A Indianapolis and Altoona, made his major league debut in left field on Sunday. He was 0-for-3 at the plate, but made a great catch for his first major league putout, chasing Luis Gonzalez's opposite-field liner to the left-field line and then nearly doubling up Alex Cintron at first base in the first inning.

"He made a play that probably Craig Wilson would not have made," McClendon said. "I thought that was a big play for us. Not only did it stop a run from coming in and the guy to second or third, but he got an out as well."