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Red Sox To Demote Kristian Campbell Ahead of Friday's Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Eric W. Bolin | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 5:11 PM ET

Kristian Campbell looked like the the front-runner for American League Rookie of the Year for the first six weeks or so of the season.

The 22-year-old second baseman was red hot through April. He carried a slash line of .301/.407/.495 with 12 extra-base hits over 123 plate appearances and looked like both the future and the current for the Red Sox in 2025.

Things have gone awry since.

Campbell is set to be demoted to Triple-A Worcester amid a month's worth of struggles. Since the calendar flipped to May, Campbell slashed just .159/.243/.222 with just four extra-base hits in 140 plate apperances.

Boston didn't immediately make a corresponding roster move, but the Red Sox are off Thursday. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu is expected to be taken off the injured list before Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants.

Campbell entered the season as the No. 4 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball America's rankings. A fourth-round pick out of Georgia Tech in 2023, he ripped his way through the minors and hit enough in spring training this year to be the Red Sox's Opening Day starter at second base.

But Campbell hadn't started in the Red Sox last two games, ceding primary second base duties to David Hamilton. Hamilton has been little better, carrying an OPS of just .47, but Campbell is projected as a long-term starter still. At the Triple-A level, he can continue to get regular at-bats.

The Red Sox entered Thursday with a record of 39-37 in fourth place in the AL East, 4 1/2 games behind the divsion-leading New York Yankees. Boston also entered tied for the final Wild-Card spot with the Cleveland Guardians, a half-game up on the Seattle Mariners.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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