DETROIT -- Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was put on the disabled list and is expected to miss six to eight weeks after sustaining a small fracture in his upper right arm Tuesday while diving into home plate on a play he called "stupid."

Hamilton, who was wearing a sling after the game, was hurt trying to score after tagging up from third base on a ball caught in foul territory in front of the Tigers' dugout. The 2010 AL MVP said third-base coach Dave Anderson sent him because Tigers pitcher Brad Penny wasn't covering home plate while catcher Victor Martinez and third baseman Brandon Inge chased down Adrian Beltre's popup.

"It was just a stupid play," Hamilton said. "I definitely shouldn't have done it."

Inge caught the ball and tossed it to Martinez, who was racing home, and the catcher was able to tag out Hamilton as he made a headfirst dive.

"I listened to my third-base coach," Hamilton said. "That's a little too aggressive. The whole time I was watching the play I was listening. [He said] 'Nobody's at home, nobody's at home.' I was like, 'Dude, I don't want to do this. Something's going to happen.' But I listened to my coach. And how do you avoid a tag the best? By going in headfirst and get out of the way and get in there. That's what I did."

Anderson said after the game that he hadn't had a chance to talk the play over with Hamilton because the slugger was getting tests done. But Anderson said it was a play he would have tried with any of the club's speed guys.

"There was nobody covering home plate, so we tried to steal a run there," Anderson said. "He made a pretty good play. That's a tough play for a catcher, running away and shovel pass and try to tag a guy. There was an opportunity with two outs and we tried to take advantage of it."