Red Sox place Pablo Sandoval on DL again

The Boston Red Sox have placed third baseman Pablo Sandoval on the DL with an inner ear infection. What is Sandoval’s status on the Red Sox roster?

The Red Sox are obviously finding any reason to rid themselves of Pablo Sandoval. Boston has placed the Panda on the 10-day disabled list due to an inner ear infection. In a flurry of roster moves, Deven Marrero and Sam Travis have been re-called from Triple-A Pawtucket.

The Red Sox released a press release regarding the latest news to Sandoval:

Third base in Boston has been the team’s weakest link thus far. The Sox currently sit a half game out of first place in the AL East with a record of 39-31. With Sandoval sidelined again, Boston will turn to Deven Marrero as the mainstay at the hot corner for the time being. Marrero’s bat has been far from ideal as he comes into Tuesday with a batting average of just .157. Marrero, however, is considered a defensive upgrade.

At some point, Boston has to consider trading for a third baseman. The Red Sox rank dead last in OPS (.565) collectively at the hot corner. This could have been avoided Dave Dombrowski foolishly dealt Travis Shaw to Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Thornburg who is out for the season due to injury. Potential trade targets could include Mike Moustakas or Todd Frazier.

Next: MLB trade rumors: 5 third baseman Red Sox should target

It’s a fair question to ask how long can the team carry Pablo Sandoval on the roster? Pablo is hitting just .212 on the season over the course of 108 plate appearances. He has also been a defensive liability as he recorded a -0.6 defensive WAR to start the season. At some point, Boston may just be willing to buy him out and start over. The Panda is under contract for two more seasons after inking a $95 million contract in the winter of 2014.