" he Hawaiian Punch is returning to the big leagues.

The Royals recalled first baseman Kila Ka'aihue from Class AAA Omaha to fill a roster vacancy created Tuesday by placing outfielder Rick Ankiel on the disabled list.

Ka'aihue, 26, is expected to arrive in time for tonight's series finale against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. He was batting .304 with a .466 on-base percentage along with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 23 games at Omaha.

How he fits into the lineup remains to seen.

Ka'aihue, a left-handed hitter, is a first baseman/designated hitter, and those positions are currently filled by Billy Butler and José Guillen, who have been two of the club's more productive hitters.

"We'll see where it fits day to day," manager Trey Hillman said. "It depends on what I do with the outfield. It depends on how I use Willie (Bloomquist). It depends on how productive Mitch (Maier) is.

"Right now, you can view it as an extra bat off the bench. He might play some first base. If he plays first base, Billy (Butler) might do some DHing. That would necessitate putting José (Guillen) back in right. We'll mix and match.""