BALTIMORE -- The Yankees will place Miguel Cairo on the 15-day disabled list after he strained his left hamstring running out a ground ball Saturday night. Cairo had been playing almost every day, filling in for injured second baseman Robinson Cano, who suffered from the same injury.

Cairo will likely hit the DL on Tuesday, when Cano is expected to rejoin the Yankees in the opener of a three-game set in Chicago. Cano is making a final rehab start with Double-A Trenton on Sunday, and batted 7-for-12 with two doubles and two RBIs in three rehab games before then. During Saturday's start, Cano tested himself physically, running at full speed.

"He's going to be a pick-me-up for our lineup," manager Joe Torre said.

Cano has been out since June 27, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season's first half and the All-Star Game. On the year, he's batting .325 with 27 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

Torre said the team's head trainer, Gene Monahan, estimated Cairo would be out at least three weeks. After Saturday's game, Cairo said he had dealt with a hamstring injury in the past.

"That's tough, man; that's your legs," he said. "I didn't want to end up like this."

After a tough June in which Cairo batted .183, he bounced back in July with a .253 mark, with 10 runs and 11 RBIs in 23 games. Cairo was 1-for-5 in the Baltimore series, with a two-run double, before being injured.

Cairo is the third Yankee to be disabled with hamstring problems. Cano has missed more than a month with his injury, and Bubba Crosby -- who was designated for assignment Friday -- missed nearly a month from mid-May to mid-June with a strained right hamstring.

Nick Green replaced Cairo in Saturday's game and got the start Sunday, his seventh with the Yankees since being brought up from Triple-A Columbus when Cano went on the DL. With Cano coming back, Green will continue to play a backup utility role.

Carl Pavano, who has not pitched in a Major League game since June 2005, will make a rehab start with the Class A Tampa Yankees on Thursday.

Pavano threw batting practice to several of his teammates last week, including Saturday, and will throw a bullpen session Monday in Tampa, Fla. Thursday will be the first of a series of rehab starts, which will allow Pavano to rebuild his arm strength and endurance.

"He's ready to go," Torre said. "We're very enthused about what we saw yesterday."

Pavano also said he was very excited to be pitching in a game. If his rehab outings go well, Pavano could make a few starts with the Yankees down the stretch in September.

"That's what we're building toward," Torre said.

Pavano was sidelined last season after 17 games due to rotator cuff tendinitis. He's been battling back from a series of injuries, which includes surgery to remove a bone chip in his right elbow.

Reliever Octavio Dotel threw again Saturday in a rehab assignment, and could rejoin the team later this month.

"There's a real possibility he'll be here before Sept. 1," Torre said.

Dotel is recovering from right elbow reconstruction surgery and has missed the entire season.