Jun 9, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell (28) hits a RBI against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Red Sox Make Kristian Campbell Roster Decision

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Mar 21, 2026 9:34 AM ET

The Boston Red Sox's roster cuts continued on Saturday morning with a big-name player heading down to the minors.

MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported that young utility man Kristian Campbell has been optioned down to Triple-A Worcester.

"Sources: Kristian Campbell optioned to Triple A Worcester this morning," Cotillo wrote.

When camp opened to kick off Spring Training, Campbell's chances of making the club out of camp weren't great, but they were not zero. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said back in February that the club saw a "big difference" in Campbell and that if he could get his offense back, the club could find at-bats for him.

The Red Sox utility man is heading down to the minors

"You can see a big difference,” Cora said in February. “He knows how to look at his schedule and he knows what he needs to do to get back to the big leagues, which is the most important thing. ... If we get this [the offense] back, we can find at-bats."

Campbell was actually better offensively in Spring Training this year than he was last year. In 18 games he slashed .220/.304/.341 with a .645 OPS. He launched one homer, drove in four runs, walked twice, hit two doubles and scored five runs. Last year, he played in 20 games and slashed .167/.305/.271 with one homer, two RBIs, 10 walks and a .576 OPS. Last year, Campbell struck out 18 times in 20 games. He cut that down to 11 times in 18 games this year. He did have a drop-off in walks, though. He walked 10 times last year in 20 games and two times in 18 games. While this is the case, his on-base percentage only dropped one point from .305 to .304.

Campbell is someone who is going to help this club at some point. Boston gave him an eight-year, $60 million extension last year. After moving all around the field in 2025, Campbell has had a focus on the outfield throughout Spring Training. The Red Sox notably are loaded in the outfield with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony. Plus, Masataka Yoshida is with the club as well, and doesn't have much of a path to a consistent role in 2026. With Campbell, he wouldn't have had a consistent role in Boston out of the gate either. So, heading down to Triple-A will give him a chance to continue to develop with a consistent role. It's for the best.

Campbell's time will come, Boston fans.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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