Alex Cora Gets Brutally Honest On Potential Kristian Campbell Promotion

The Boston Red Sox have found themselves in the middle of a cold stretch at the worst possible time, as they have posted a 4-7 record over the past 11 games. Manager Alex Cora could certainly use some reinforcements, and one guy who continually gets named a potential call-up candidate is Kristian Campbell.

One of the Red Sox’s big three prospects entering the season, Campbell initially began the season in the majors. After a hot start, he quickly faded, getting sent back to Triple-A in June after hitting .223 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 67 games.

Campbell had a lot thrown at him this year, so it wasn’t necessarily a surprise to see him struggle a bit early in his major league career. In 70 games with the Worcester Red Sox, Campbell has looked more like himself, hitting .270 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs.

With Boston scuffling as the regular season comes to a close, some folks have wondered whether now could be the time to give Campbell another shot in the big leagues. However, based on Cora’s latest comments, it still sounds like the team is on the fence about bringing him back to Boston.

“I mean, everybody is,” Cora said when asked if Campbell was under consideration to be called back up to the majors. “He’s been OK. A few weeks ago, he got on a roll there, hitting the ball hard in the air, which is something that’s very important, but there’s other parts of the game that we’ve got to get better.”

Early in the season, Campbell was one of the Red Sox’s best hitters, so promoting him could provide the lineup with the spark they are missing right now. Of course, there’s also a chance he could struggle again, which is why the team is playing it safe with him currently.

If the Sox continue to struggle, Cora and company could be forced into promoting Campbell as a last roll of the dice in an attempt to get the lineup going again. For now, Boston’s primary objective is to get back in the win column, and they will have a shot to do so against the Athletics on Wednesday night.