Boston Red Sox place 3B Pablo Sandoval on DL

Pablo Sandoval is headed back to the disabled list.

The Boston Red Sox third baseman was placed on the 10-day DL with a right knee sprain on Tuesday and infielder Josh Rutledge was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket before Tuesday's series opener against the New York Yankees.

Sandoval, 30, sustained the injury while fielding a ground ball in the sixth inning of Sunday's 6-2 win against the Orioles in Baltimore.

The three-time World Series champion and former World Series MVP with the San Francisco Giants played just three games last season before landing on the DL with a shoulder strain and later undergoing season-ending surgery.

Sandoval missed 195 of a possible 324 games over his first two seasons of a five-year, $95 million deal with the Red Sox.

In 2017, Sandoval is batting .213 (13-for-61) with three home runs and 10 RBIs in 17 games. He owns a .238 average with 13 homers and 57 RBIs in 146 games over three seasons in Boston.

Rutledge, 28, began the season on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain.

Boston (11-8) is third in the American League East and trails the Baltimore Orioles for first place by 2 1/2 games.