At about 5:10 p.m. ET Friday afternoon, a clubhouse attendant started packing Travis Hafner's jerseys, pants and shoes into a bag. The Indians designated hitter is going on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday, for a right shoulder strain. He left Kansas City before the start of the three-game series and headed back to Cleveland for treatment.

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who's been on the DL, will replace Hafner and should be available Saturday.

Hafner had every intention of playing in this series, that's why he traveled. But after he struggled through a pregame hitting session at Kauffman Stadium, the Indians made the decision to put him on the DL.

"He still didn't feel like himself," head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff said.

Hafner didn't have much to say Thursday afternoon. He zipped up a final bag and left for Cleveland, deflecting questions to Soloff.

"We feel like some days of strength training can really help him," Soloff said.

The trip to the DL has been a long time coming. Hafner's shoulder has caused him problems since the middle of March and got worse recently. He didn't play in the Tribe's three-game series against the White Sox.

On Tuesday, he received a cortisone shot, hoping the injection could dull the pain enough to keep him in the lineup. On the same day, manager Eric Wedge told reporters that he would consider putting Hafner on the DL if he wasn't ready to play on Friday.

"We thought it was going to work," Wedge said about the cortisone shot. "He just obviously needs more time."

Wedge echoed Soloff's opinion about Hafner's injury, saying the focal point of his stay on the DL would be getting his strength back. Hafner's already had an MRI on the shoulder, and it revealed no structural damage. The Indians will evaluate the injury again next week.

It's another painful setback for a Tribe offense that has struggled to produce all season. Although Hafner was only hitting .217 with four home runs and 22 RBIs, his absence means Cleveland has one less weapon.

It also puts the Indians' lineup in flux. According to Wedge, several players will rotate in the DH position. Ryan Garko had the job on Friday. Michael Aubrey, Jhonny Peralta and David Delucci all played there in the White Sox series. Wedge said Choo might even see some action at DH.

All that's certain is that Hafner won't be playing for a while. Starting with Friday's match against the Royals, 11 road games in 11 days await the Indians. The Tribe lineup will have to enter one of the most grueling stretches of the season without one of its most-feared hitters.

"The last thing you want to do is set your feet prematurely," Wedge said. "Now with Hafner down, all the more we have to figure out what works and be able to do well."