CLEVELAND – The Kansas City Royals placed pitcher Luke Hochevar on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday because of a rib injury.

The 24-year-old had an MRI, which showed a right rib contusion.

Left-hander Josh Newman was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to replace Hochevar. Newman had been optioned out Tuesday when the Royals signed free agent right-hander Kip Wells.

“In the best-case scenario, it's a 15-day DL and he gets some more work in,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said. “It's not going to be one of those things where we force it.

“The pain area is right under the armpit. He doesn't feel too good today. He's having trouble. We know there's a bruise. We don't know any more than that.”

Hillman said Hochevar told him he wasn't sure when he got hurt and that neither of them had ever heard of the injury before.

“I've never heard of it,” Hillman said. “I've never seen it. This one is a new one for me. Every now and then, you come up with one of those mysterious injuries. That's exactly what this is.”

The right-hander left his start after five innings Tuesday when he felt a sharp pain in his right side on his first warmup pitch before the sixth.

The first overall selection of the 2006 draft out of Tennessee, Hochevar made 85 pitches, giving up four runs and seven hits. The Royals fell 9-4 to the Indians, and Hochevar picked up his fifth consecutive loss to fall to 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA.

“It took my breath away,” Hochevar said after the game. “I never felt anything like this before. It caught me by surprise.”

Hillman said he isn't sure what his rotation plans will be after right-hander Brian Bannister opens a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers in Kansas City on Friday.