"The Royals placed closer Joakim Soria on the 15-day disabled list after Sunday's game because of lingering soreness in his right shoulder. Pitcher Luke Hochevar was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Soria's place on the roster and Sidney Ponson's place in the starting rotation. Hochevar will start on Tuesday night at Oakland, moving Ponson into the bullpen. Hochevar had a 5-0 record in six starts for Omaha with a 0.90 ERA. There was no immediate estimate on how long Soria might be sidelined. He last pitched on Thursday against Seattle in a rocky but successful 29-pitch outing. His DL stay is retroactive to Friday. "We've been going day-to-day as you know. It's a little bit of a strain of the rotator cuff that he's going through," manager Trey Hillman said. Soria last season was one of the game's premier closers with 42 saves, the second-most in the American League. He had just three blown saves along with a 1.60 ERA and opponents hit just .170 against him. Now, Hillman said, the Royals' closer role will be handled by a "committee," although right-hander Juan Cruz might be near the top of the list. Also likely to be in the mix are right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and left-hander Ron Mahay. Soria said his shoulder did not bother him during his long inning against the Mariners last Thursday but it was sore the next day. "It's not going away so I'm going to have to take time to get ready for an entire season. I think it's too early in the season to be pitching like that," Soria said. "I think the better thing is to be put on the DL and see what happens after the 15 days." The earliest that he could return would be May 23 at St. Louis. There also is the possibility that he would spend time in the Minors on an injury rehabilitation assignment. Soria accompanied the Royals to Oakland for a day off on Monday followed by a two-game series. He's confident he'll be able to return on time. "Oh, yeah," Soria said. "I think I can be back in the 15 days. It just needs rest. We'll take care of that and see what happens." Soria has appeared in just eight of the Royals' 30 games. He had seven saves in seven chances, a 1-0 record, a 2.08 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings. His on-and-off absence has created a noticeable gap in the bullpen. "For the last two weeks, we've been in the same situation pretty much," Hillman said. "I was trying to make sure I didn't do anything to increase any of the inflammation that he's had. So at some point you have to decide if you want to get it calmed down now rather than possibly going two or three days without him.""