The Boston Red Sox on Friday put second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list with what manager Bobby Valentine called a sprained right thumb. Infielder Pedro Ciriaco was recalled to take his place.

Pedroia has been dealing with a partially torn adductor muscle in his right thumb since late May, but Valentine said this injury -- which the 28-year-old suffered Tuesday making a diving play in Oakland -- is unrelated to the prior one.

“This is not related to the other injury but it’s a disabling situation, so he’s going to take the 15 days -- and 4 of those days thankfully are All-Star break days -- to try to get better and come back to us healthy and ready to go,” Valentine said Friday afternoon in an interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI.

To make room for the 26-year-old Ciriaco on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox moved reliever Rich Hill to the 60-day disabled list. Ciriaco was hitting .301 with Triple-A Pawtucket.

Red Sox utilityman Nick Punto was in the lineup playing second base and batting ninth Friday night in the series opener against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

The first injury to Pedroia’s thumb caused him to miss six games before returning June 5. He reinjured the thumb after popping up an inside pitch June 19 against the Miami Marlins but only missed one game.

Pedroia has struggled since the initial injury, hitting .210 with a .282 on-base percentage and just seven extra-base hits in 26 games. He is hitting .266 with six home runs and 33 RBIs on the season.

Pedroia isn’t the only Red Sox infielder sidelined. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. Valentine said Middlebrooks would be out of Friday’s lineup as well, replaced at third by Mauro Gomez.

“We think he’s going to be ready soon, but I don’t think it’s going to be tonight,” Valentine said of Middlebrooks.