Farrell stands by Sandoval despite recent benching

Since the Boston Red Sox slotted Pablo Sandoval in the ninth spot in the batting order for the team's June 9 game against the Detroit Tigers, he's been relegated to pinch-hit duties.

The Red Sox have played four games since, and Sandoval has three plate appearances. The third baseman has never found a groove during his time in Boston, either in the field or at the plate, and it's resulted in an extended trip to the bench.

Manager John Farrell, however, stands by Sandoval, according to the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman. To Farrell, it's not just Sandoval's responsibility but the team's to help him improve.

"I wouldn't rule it out," Farrell said of Sandoval regaining his starting job. "But look at it like this. Pablo's our guy. And it's up to us to get the most out of him. And that's ongoing."

Instead, players like Josh Rutledge have been used at third base with more regularity. Farrell adds that they're playing the percentages, and Rutledge matched up against Phillies right-hander Ben Lively better than Sandoval on Tuesday.

"He'll be on the field - we'll mix and match, we'll find spots for him," he said. "With Rutledge in the game (last night), you're looking at a right-handed pitcher with big reverse splits and looking to take advantage of that with a right-handed hitter. And that's why Rutledge is there. And (Sandoval) needs to be more consistent defensively. So with Pablo, we've got work to do. We've got to find a way to kind of generate a little of momentum with him, a little bit more confidence and we'll pick spots to get him on the field."

Sandoval is hitting .211 in 27 games with four home runs and 12 RBIs. He's committed five errors. He has two more seasons remaining on his contract plus an option year with a $5-million buyout in 2020.