Amid a cool streak, Red Sox rookie Kristian Campbell was dropped from fifth to eighth in the Red Sox lineup in the first game of a doubleheader Friday against the Orioles.
Campbell earned American League Rookie of the Month honors for April after hitting .301 with four home runs and a .902 OPS in the first month of the season. He’s batting just .094 with a .278 OPS through 13 games in May.
Manager Alex Cora was hopeful that the move down the lineup would take some heat off of Campbell.
“Just give him some breathing room. We’re working hard with him on a few things, and I think timing is a big part of it.”
Campbell, a second baseman and outfielder, has been cross-training as a first baseman, but Cora said that despite the rookie’s struggles at the plate, the team has not considered pulling back on teaching him a new position.
The manager did say he’s seen more emotion out of Campbell recently, with the 22-year-old slamming his bat, throwing the ball harder to first base and slamming his helmet. Cora likes that, however.
“It’s good, because at one point, I was like, ‘It can’t be that easy.’ Say level. Alex Bregman stay level, but I guarantee in ’17, Alex Bregman was showing emotion when he was hitting .190, right? It’s good that he’s showing it, now we just have to help him.”
Originally Published: May 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM EDT