Before the season started, the Boston Red Sox were so excited to have former top-ten prospect Kristian Campbell join the big-league roster that they invested in him with an eight-year contract extension worth $60 million. While Campbell started strongly, reaching base in his first 17 games, the second-longest streak for a player making his debut in Red Sox team history, he’s struggled immensely ever since.
Campbell has now appeared in 43 games, but he’s hitting just .225 with an OPS of .690. As a result of his recent downward spiral, the Red Sox dropped the 22-year-old to eighth in the batting lineup ahead of Friday’s Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Manager Alex Cora briefly explained his reasoning behind the decision, simply explaining how it could help relieve pressure off the young prospect.
“Just giving him some breathing room,” said Alex Cora. “We’re working hard with him on a few things and I think timing is a big part of it. There’s a lot of moving parts right now compared to early in the season. So, keep working and hopefully that helps him.”
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Campbell responded by going 0-for-4 with a strikeout, however he did manage to draw two walks and score two runs on a day when Boston’s offense exploded for 19 runs.
Boston clearly had high hopes for Campbell providing a spark to their lineup, hitting him as high as fourth. Yet, he’ll have to work his way back up the lineup to earn more opportunities at this point.
Perhaps this is the motivation Campbell needs to get back on track; his manager certainly thinks it could help.
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