Latest news with #KristianCampbell
CBS News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Red Sox sending Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester
The Boston Red Sox are sending struggling second baseman Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester. ESPN's Jeff Passan was first to report Campbell's demotion on Thursday. The Red Sox are expected to announce the move Friday ahead of a three-game series against the Giants in San Francisco, with outfielder Wilyer Abreu set to be activated from the Injured List to take Campbell's spot on the roster. Campbell broke Spring Training as Boston's starting second baseman after an impressive camp, and the 22-year-old rookie got off to a hot start at the plate when he slashed .301/.407/.495 with four homers, eight doubles, 12 RBI, and 18 runs scored over his first 29 games. Campbell was the Rookie of the Month after his hot March and April, and was signed to an eight-year, $60 million contract less than a week after he began his Major League career. But he's gone ice cold since that scorching start, with Campbell hitting just .159 -- going 20-for-140 -- with a .243 on-base percentage since May 1. He's struck 40 strikeouts to just 10 walks over his last 38 games. The Red Sox have put a lot on the rookie's plate, with manager Alex Cora still batting him as high as fourth in the lineup despite Campbell's struggles. He had recently dropped to the bottom third of the lineup. And while Campbell started 54 games at second base, he was also moving around the field as he navigated his rookie season. He made seven starts in center field (including Wednesday's finale in Seattle) and two appearances in left. He also started doing some work at first base after the injury to Triston Casas, before the Red Sox pulled the plug on the experiment. In his 59 overall appearances at second, Campbell made seven errors to lead the team. The Red Sox are now hoping a little time in the minors will help Campbell regain his confidence at the plate and in the field. A fourth-round pick by Boston in 2023 out of Georgia Tech, Campbell played just 19 of his 138 minor league games at the Triple-A. Who will play second base for Red Sox? While Campbell tries to get right in the minors, the Red Sox will rely on David Hamilton and Romy Gonzalez to man second base. Hamilton is hitting just .172 in his 99 plate appearances, while Gonzalez is slashing .308/.473/.819 in his 28 games played. Gonzalez has seen action at first, second, and third base for Boston this season. Things could get interesting in the infield when Alex Bregman returns to third. When that happens, there's a good chance rookie Marcelo Mayer (.220/.277/.475 with four homers and six RBI) slides over to second, or he could potentially play shortstop with Trevor Story making the move to second.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox demote struggling rookie Kristian Campbell in wake of Rafael Devers trade
Four days after the Boston Red Sox said goodbye to Rafael Devers, the team is set to demote one of the prospects who was supposed to help replace him as a franchise player. Boston plans to option second baseman Kristian Campbell back to Triple-A Worcester, according to The club has not confirmed the move, but figures to do it on Friday ahead of its game against Devers and the San Francisco Giants. Advertisement Doing so means the Red Sox will eat part of the eight-year, $60 million contract extension they signed Campbell to early in the season. Not much has gone according to plan for the 39-37 Red Sox this season, who made headlines earlier this week when they traded away their longest-tenured player in Devers over a simmering position dispute. Somehow, Campbell was a factor in Devers' unhappiness, with Joon Lee reporting for Yahoo Sports that Devers was upset when Campbell volunteered to cover first base for the Red Sox after Triston Casas tore his patellar tendon. Devers outright refused to switch positions after losing third base to offseason signing Alex Bregman, but also interpreted Campbell's offer as a slight to his own stature. Kristian Campbell was the first of the Red Sox top prospect trio to reach the majors. He's now headed back to the minors. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) (Rob Tringali via Getty Images) Campbell was one of three highly anticipated prospects Boston was expecting this season, alongside outfielder Roman Anthony and shortstop/third baseman Marcelo Mayer. All three players ranked in the top 15 of Baseball America's top prospects list, but it was only Campbell who broke camp with the big-league club. Advertisement As a prospect, the 22-year-old Campbell presented a well-rounded offensive approach combined with defensive versatility. He was an unheralded talent in the 2023 MLB Draft, with the Red Sox landing him in the fourth round, but he broke out majorly in 2024, earning Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year Award after hitting .330/.439/.558 between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A. For about a month, Campbell delivered on the hype. He finished April hitting .301/.407/.495 and was a major Rookie of the Year candidate, but then fell off massively. He has hit .159/.243/.222 since the calendar turned to May, with only one base hit in the past week. While Campbell was scuffling, the Red Sox called up Anthony and Mayer. They had the trio together for a little more than a week, but will now send down Campbell to work on his offensive approach and perhaps get his confidence back up.
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Reports: Red Sox to option struggling 2B Kristian Campbell
June 20 - The Boston Red Sox are optioning rookie second baseman Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester, ESPN and MassLive reported Thursday. The move is expected to make room for outfielder Wilyer Abreu, who is ready to be reinstated from the injured list. Campbell, 22, made Boston's Opening Day roster as its starting second baseman and signed an eight-year, $60 million contract extension soon after. Campbell had a .301 batting average after March and April but has severely slumped since, batting .159 since his first game of May. He has also committed seven errors this season. Through 67 major league games, Campbell owns a .223/.319/.345 slash line with six home runs and 21 RBIs. He was a fourth-round draft pick by the Red Sox in 2023. Boston is preparing for a three-game series at San Francisco -- less than a week after trading disgruntled star Rafael Devers to the Giants. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox Make Massive Decision on Top Prospect Before Giants Series
Red Sox Make Massive Decision on Top Prospect Before Giants Series originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's been an interesting week for the Boston Red Sox as they continue to stay in playoff contention this 2025 MLB season. Advertisement After pulling off the first blockbuster trade of the season, sending Boston's highest-paid player, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for pitching prospects Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, Jose Bello, and 2024 first-round pick James Tibbs III – the Red Sox appear to be continuing to reshape their lineup. It's been announced that the Red Sox have decided to designate second baseman Kristian Campbell back down to Triple-A Worcester before their highly anticipated series against Rafael Devers and the San Francisco Giants. At just 22 years old, Kristian Campbell spent a little over a year in the minors before impressing manager Alex Cora during Spring Training back in March. Advertisement Cora rewarded him with a spot on the Red Sox's 2025 Opening Day roster, and Campbell has since established himself as an everyday starter for Boston this season. His rookie season started out extremely hot, finishing the month of April with a .301 batting average and a .902 OPS. Since the start of May, however, Campbell has slumped, and has dropped his hitting statistics down to a .223 batting average and .664 OPS while hitting six home runs and 21 RBI in the 67 games he's played this season. Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) hits a RBI against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Fenway Fluharty-Imagn Images Manager Alex Cora hasn't made an announcement on what the future plans for second base will be for the Red Sox, but once third baseman Alex Bregman returns from his quad injury that landed him on the injured list in late May, there seems to be some moving around in the infield for Boston. Advertisement Rookie mutlitool infielder Marcelo Mayer has emerged as a player that can move around within the infield, so there's a possibility that the Red Sox could plug him into the second base position. The Red Sox will travel to San Francisco to take on a familiar face in Rafael Devers and the Giants in a three-game series that begins on Friday night. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Red Sox optioning rookie Kristian Campbell to Triple A
Four days after the stunning trade of slugger Rafael Devers, the Boston Red Sox are optioning infielder Kristian Campbell to Triple A, according to a league source. Campbell, who earned the American League's Rookie of the Month for March/April, has struggled since the start of May and is batting only .223/.319/.345 on the season. Advertisement Campbell, 22, signed an eight-year, $60 million contract extension days after making the Opening Day roster. He was coming off a breakout 2024 season during which he earned Minor League Player of the Year from several publications, including The Athletic. Campbell, the 132nd pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech, rose three levels last season from High A to Triple A, hitting .330/.439/.558 with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases in 115 games while showing his defensive versatility by playing second base, shortstop, third base and centerfield. He was ranked the No. 9 prospect in baseball by The Athletic's Keith Law at the start of the season. With the second base position open at the start of spring, Campbell was a leading candidate to make the team out of spring training but he initially struggled before a mid-spring conversation with veteran Trevor Story helped him get back on track. He made his major-league debut on Opening Day in Texas, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Campbell was hot to start the season and had a .902 OPS at the end of April, earning him the AL Rookie of the Month award for March/April. He missed a few games at the start of May with what was described as right rib discomfort. Since the start of May, he's hit only .159/.243/.222. The Red Sox are off on Thursday and haven't announced the move officially. It isn't immediately clear who would replace him on the roster, though one option could be Masataka Yoshida, the left-handed hitting outfielder who is coming off of shoulder surgery that has prevented him from throwing. He has been able to swing and could slide into the designated hitter role now that Devers has been traded to the Giants. The Red Sox have several options to take over at second base already on the roster, including Marcelo Mayer, another top prospect who made his debut in late May. A natural shortstop, Mayer has been playing third base but can also play second. Utility men Abraham Toro, David Hamilton and Romy Gonzalez all have MLB experience at second base. In the minors, the Red Sox have several other options to play second, including Nick Sogard and Vaughn Grissom.
