Red Sox
Kristian Campbell is batting just .159 since the start of May.
The Red Sox’s youth movement took a bit of a hit on Thursday afternoon.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Thursday that the Red Sox are optioning rookie Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester — with the 22-year-old infielder/outfielder looking for a reset after an extended slump.
By demoting Campbell, it opens the door for the Red Sox to add outfielder Wilyer Abreu back on the big-league roster after spending a stint on the injured list.
But Campbell might also need some time to right the ship down in the minor leagues in order to get his game back on track.
The promising prospect opened the 2025 season on a high note, earning a spot on Boston’s MLB roster straight out of spring training.
Through the first month of action, Campbell was arguably one of the top young players in baseball — winning the American League Rookie of the Month award after batting .301 with four home runs, eight doubles, 12 RBIs and a .902 OPS across 29 games.
Early into his big-league tenure, Campbell was awarded an eight-year, $60 million extension as a sign of his standing as a future franchise fixture.
But since the start of May, Campbell has struggled – batting .159 with four extra-base hits, 40 strikeouts and a .465 OPS. His defense has also regressed, with the rookie committing seven errors at second base.
Add in Boston potentially slotting him in at first base amid the Rafael Devers drama earlier this month, and it’s been a tumultuous stretch for Campbell as of late.
Even with his profile as a blue-chip prospect, Campbell has not had much seasoning in the minor leagues. A fourth-round pick by Boston out of Georgia Tech in 2023, Campbell has only logged 137 games in the minor leagues — including just 19 games with Worcester.
With Campbell down in Worcester for now, David Hamilton is expected to earn more reps at second base, while Marcelo Mayer could also shift over to that position as well.
Mayer has earned most of his playing time at third since getting called up, although he will move off the hot corner eventually once Alex Bregman is cleared off the injured list.
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