Kristian Campbell’s Bat Looks Rusty In WooSox Loss

When the Boston Red Sox optioned rookie infielder Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester on June 19, the idea was for the talented 22-year-old to get familiar with playing first base and to work on his offense in a less pressure-packed environment.

Campbell got off to a hot start at the plate to begin his big league career in April, but by the time of his demotion, his batting average plummeted to .223. And with Abraham Toro and Romy González forming a platoon at first base, the front office felt spending some time in Triple-A Worcester was the right move.

Earning the start at first base and batting leadoff for Worcester, Campbell had a rather uneventful night at his new position. His night at the plate was less impressive.

It should be noted that Campbell stayed behind in Worcester while the team traveled to Scranton, PA to get a few days of work at first base in a non-baseball setting earlier this week. Joining the team on Wednesday, his last at-bat came on June 22 when he went 2-4 during his first game with the WooSox.

The time away from the batter’s box showed during Worcester’s 4-0 loss against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Campbell was 0-4 and struck out four times. His WooSox teammates didn’t do much better, with three hits (all singles) and 13 strikeouts against RailRiders’ pitching.

While it was certainly a rough night for Campbell, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to rediscover his swing before he rejoins the Red Sox lineup later this summer.