Kansas City Royals pitcher Runelvys Hernandez has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury. Hernandez was scheduled to start Saturday's game at Yankee Stadium and did not join his teammates for the trip to the Bronx. The righthander is expected to undergo an MRI on Monday, according to manager Buddy Bell. In last Sunday's game versus Oakland, Hernandez pitched just two innings and was forced to leave the game due to tightness in his back. He is 8-11 with a 5.03 earned run average in 25 games this season, but totes an 0-2 record in his last five starts. Earlier this season Hernandez, 27, was suspended for 10 games and fined an undisclosed amount of money for intentionally throwing a pitch at Detroit's Carlos Guillen after a warning had been issued in a game on July 17. However, Hernandez appealed the suspension and is waiting for Major League Baseball's decision. In a related move, the Royals recalled southpaw J.P. Howell from Triple-A Omaha to pitch Saturday's game against the Yankees. Howell started eight games for Kansas City earlier this season and went 1-4 with a 7.68 ERA.