The Otago opening batsman will join the squad in Sri Lanka following an injury crisis in yesterday's twenty20 win.
Rutherford (30) last played international cricket in a test against Sri Lanka in 2015.
He has 16 tests, four one-day internationals and seven twenty20 internationals to his name, all between 2013 and 2015.
Rutherford has been playing for Worcestershire in England over the New Zealand winter.
Injuries to Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill and Tom Bruce were added to the fractured thumb suffered by Lockie Ferguson, to leave the Black Caps' initial 14-man squad down to 10 healthy bodies.
Taylor didn't play yesterday after hurting his left hip flexor in the first Twenty20, Guptill had to hobble off with a right abdominal muscle injury sustained while attempting a runout, and Bruce twisted his knee when attempting a second run, requiring some heavy strapping.
It left the Black Caps light on players - and especially batsmen - ahead of the third and final Twenty20 on Saturday morning, and it was tonight confirmed that Guptill has been ruled out of that clash with a right abdomen strain.
Guptill will return home to New Zealand for further assessment, with Otago and Worcestershire opener Rutherford called across from England as cover.
Black Caps coach Gary Stead confirmed Rutherford would join the squad on Thursday, as cover for Bruce.
Bruce told Radio Sport Breakfast that his injury needed some rest but wasn't overly serious.
"It was full contact tonight, wasn't it," Bruce laughed.
"I'll ice the knee and rest up the next couple of days – I think it should be right, fingers crossed anyway.
Taylor, meanwhile, has been ruled fit and ready to go, after being left out of today's match as a precautionary measure.
With their resources already stretched to breaking point, Bruce suspects there may be not too many training requirements before the third Twenty20.
"The boys will rest and recover tomorrow, and I'm not too sure if we'll have a training the day before the game or not – probably with the amount of injuries we might just rest up again."
The Black Caps lead the series 2-0, with the final game of the series set to be their last international for nearly two months - giving their walking wounded time to recover before England visit New Zealand shores in November.
