BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox placed struggling right fielder J.D. Drew on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday with a sore right shoulder and recalled infielder Drew Sutton from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Drew is batting just .219 with four homers and 21 RBI in the final year of a five-year, $70 million contract and had largely lost his starting job to rookie Josh Reddick. The move was retroactive to July 20.

Sutton was called up for the third time this year. He was 5 for 16 on his most recent stay.

Drew was just 6 for 47 with no homers and three RBI this month, with his last homer on June 8.

Manager Terry Francona said Drew’s shoulder had been bothering him for two weeks.

 

KEVIN YOUKILIS was not in the starting lineup, a day after straining his right hamstring trying to beat out an infield single.

“He’s a little sore. But he came through the exam last night pretty good, which is really good,” Francona said before Boston’s game against Kansas City on Tuesday.

“When he hit the bag, it looked bad and he kind of came off limping and we got him out of there for precautionary reasons, and I’m glad we did.”

Youkilis is hitting .279, with 14 homers and 72 RBI and had appeared in 93 of the team’s first 100 games.