Red Sox’s Kristian Campbell Playing New Position For Worcester

Kristian Campbell is currently learning a new position during his stint at Triple-A Worcester, but he’ll try out another different spot.

The Woo Sox are playing Campbell at left field for Thursday night’s game against the Iowa Cubs. The 23-year-old has previously played exclusively at first and second base since the Boston Red Sox demoted him in late June.

First base remains Campbell’s “primary focus” with the WooSox, according to SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield. Yet he’s fielded balls in the outfield outside of games to offer more versatility for a potential major league return.

The recently demoted David Hamilton is starting at second base, and Nick Sogard is starting at first.

It’s not Campbell’s first-ever exposure to the outfield. He started at left field for the Red Sox on March 29 and played seven games at center, including his last in the majors on June 18.

One would think the Red Sox have no plans of Campbell returning in the outfield. After all, Ceddanne Rafaela was playing Gold Glove-level defense in center field before shifting to second base.

Boston has struggled to find a permanent second baseman in place of Campbell, but he’s unlikely to reclaim that spot after posting minus-14 defensive runs saved at the keystone position.

First base appears to represent Campbell’s best path for playing time down the stretch. Abraham Toro has cooled off considerably from a hot start, batting .200/.259/.295 since the start of July.

Meanwhile, Campbell is swinging a scorching bat for the WooSox. He’s registered at least one hit in 17 of his last 20 games and holds a .404 on-base percentage despite a rough start to his Triple-A return.

Campbell looks ready to offer Boston an offensive boost for a playoff run, but the Red Sox must determine where his glove fits into the lineup.