Why Kristian Campbell Decision Settles Pace For Red Sox

The Kristian Campbell experiment is now on the back burner for the Boston Red Sox.

Alex Cora shared Monday that trying Campbell at first base won’t be a priority in the coming weeks with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at the position, per The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey.

The production of the latter of the tandem is likely the reason the Red Sox are comfortable with such a decision. Toro slashed .310/.310/.534 with three home runs and an .845 OPS to start his Boston tenure in 18 games, including a strong weekend in the series win over the Atlanta Braves.

Gonzalez returns from the injured list to complete the platoon and add to Cora’s desired versatility. Maybe the most important piece is Campbell getting the chance to settle down with comfort and find his swing again at the plate.

The Red Sox rookie struggled heavily at the plate in May after a strong opening month when he won American League Rookie of the Month honors. Campbell slashed just .134/.184/.171 for a .355 OPS with 27 strikeouts and just five walks. He’s seen the extreme highs and lows of the MLB season through his first two months as a big-leaguer.

Campbell now gets the chance to settle at second base after the Red Sox moved him around to several spots defensively. That’s an overfilled plate for a rookie, so Boston looks to bring him back to comfort and restore his production in June.