Why Red Sox should send Kristian Campbell back down to Worcester originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Red Sox top prospect Kristian Campbell has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows through the first two months of his rookie season.

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Campbell cracked Boston’s Opening Day roster as the club’s starting second baseman. He picked up where he left off in the minors, slashing .301/.407/.495 with four home runs and 12 RBI over March and April to earn the American League Rookie of the Month honor.

May wasn’t as kind to the 22-year-old. Since May 1, Campbell has hit just .137 (13-for-95) with one homer and a .383 OPS in 26 games.

We’ve reached the point where it may be wise to give Campbell a reset in Triple-A Worcester. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, however, wants to see Campbell figure it out with the big-league club.

“We want him to get it here. That’s the most important thing,” Cora told reporters on Tuesday. “We don’t rule anything out. But right now, he’s going to play here, and he’s going to get at-bats here, and we’re going to keep pushing him to be better.”

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Letting Campbell play through his struggles would make sense if Boston were winning games, but Cora’s club must operate with urgency. The Red Sox entered Thursday with a 30-34 record after losing two out of three at home to the Los Angeles Angels. It won’t get any easier for them in their upcoming series in the Bronx against the first-place New York Yankees, whom they trail by nine games in the American League East standings.

More time in Worcester could be just what the doctor ordered for Campbell. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick skyrocketed through the minor league ranks last season, starting in High-A and finishing with only 19 games in Triple-A. He likely would have begun the 2025 campaign in Worcester had another starting-caliber second baseman been on Boston’s active roster.

Sending Campbell down would also clear a path for the Red Sox to promote the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Roman Anthony. Ceddanne Rafaela could move from center field to second base, fixing the outfield logjam that has contributed to Anthony’s extended stay in the minors. Or, Rafaela could move to shortstop with Marcelo Mayer or Trevor Story taking over at second.

While demoting Campbell won’t fix all of the Red Sox’ issues, now is the time to make changes before the season slips away.