Red Sox place second baseman Dustin Pedroia on 15-day Disabled List

The Boston Red Sox today placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 23) with a right hamstring strain. To fill his spot on the 25-man roster, right-handed pitcher Steven Wright was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. Wright will be active and start this afternoon's 4:05 p.m. game against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.

In addition, right-handed pitcher Heath Hembree was activated from the disabled list and optioned to Pawtucket.

Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.

For Pedroia, 31, this will mark his second stint on the disabled list this season. He was previously on with the same injury from June 25 until July 16. Pedroia last appeared in Wednesday's loss at Houston, going 1-for-4 with an RBI double. In 75 games for Boston this season, the right-handed batter has hit .287 (87-for-303) with 15 doubles, nine home runs, 34 RBI, and 35 runs scored. Since April 26, his .302 (70-for-232) batting average is 10th best among all American League players. For his major league career, the four-time AL All-Star is a .299 (1,458-for-4,883) hitter with 335 doubles, 13 triples, 115 home runs, and 580 RBI in 1,226 games, all with the Red Sox (since 2006).

Wright, 30, rejoins the Red Sox for his sixth major league stint of the year. In 12 appearances for Boston in 2015, the knuckleballer is 3-3 with a 4.84 ERA (26 ER/48.1 IP) and 27 strikeouts. As a starter, Wright is 1-3 with a 5.14 ERA (16 ER/28.0 IP) and a 1.14 WHIP in five outings, with his most recent coming in the second game of the club's doubleheader, Monday at the Angels. In his three previous career starts at Fenway Park, two of which have come this season, he is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA (5 ER/17.1 IP). At Pawtucket, Wright has worked exclusively as a starter, going 2-5 with a 3.81 ERA (22 ER/52.0 IP) and 42 strikeouts in eight starts. Over his major league career, all with the Red Sox from 2013-15, Wright has gone 5-4 with a 4.35 ERA (40 ER/82.2 IP) in 22 games (seven starts).

Hembree, 26, was placed on the disabled list on June 15 with right shoulder inflammation. He appeared in four games over his three major league stints with the Red Sox this season and had no record with an 8.53 ERA (6 ER/6.1 IP) and three strikeouts. Hembree appeared in five games in his rehab assignment between the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox (one game) and Pawtucket (four games). Overall with the PawSox this season, the right-hander is 0-3 with seven saves and a 1.82 ERA (5 ER/24.2 IP) in 22 relief appearances. For his big league career, Hembree has no record, a 4.95 ERA (11 ER/20.0 IP), and 21 strikeouts in 17 games between the San Francisco Giants (2013) and Red Sox (2014-15).